Fighting for Love
by Butterfly Betty
Summary: When Edward moves to Forks with his sister, Esme, he is immediately drawn to the mysterous Bella Cullen. Will he be able to break through her tough girl act? Will she let him? Usual pairings, AH, NC-17 for language and possible lemons in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

1

**EPOV**

"Edward, get up!" yelled my sister, Esme Masen. I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head. I heard my door get thrown open just before my pillow got pulled off my head. "Come on. We are going to be so late."

"Gee, wouldn't that be such a tragedy," I grumbled as I rolled over onto my back.

"Look, I know this isn't the ideal situation, Edward," said Esme, sitting on the side of my bed. "But this is the best I can do for now."

"I know," I whispered. "It's fine, Esme. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Ok," she whispered.

Esme stood up and walked out of my room. I sighed as rolled off my bed and made my way into the bathroom. I started the shower and stripped off my pajamas. I stepped under the hot water, letting it wash over my head and shoulders.

Esme and I just moved to the cold, wet, dreary, boring town of Forks, Washington. To say that I was unhappy with our move would be an understatement but I didn't really have a choice. My parents, Edward Sr. and Elizabeth Masen, moved to Italy two months ago. My father has been in the army for the last thirty years. He's mostly been stationed stateside but two months ago he got stationed in Italy. Nice, huh? So I had a choice to make: either move with them to a foreign country where I don't know anyone or even how to speak their native language or move in with my older sister, Esme. Some choice, right?

So I made the choice to move in with my sister. Of course, I thought I would be still living in DC but last month she broke the news that we were moving to Forks. She had gotten offered the job as principal at the local high school. It was an opportunity that she just couldn't turn down so I sucked it up and agreed to the move. That was a week ago and we just moved into our new apartment. School started today and I wasn't exactly excited but I would do what I could to make Esme happy. Right now, she was all I had.

I sighed as I climbed out of the shower and dried off. I went back into my room and quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans and my favorite Led Zeppelin t-shirt. At least I would be somewhat comfortable. I ran my fingers through my hair and grabbed my backpack. I made my way out to the kitchen to where Esme was sitting at the table sipping on a cup of coffee.

"You about ready?" I asked.

"You need to eat some breakfast," said Esme.

"I'm not really hungry," I muttered. "Lets just get going."

"Ok," sighed Esme.

Esme put her coffee cup in the sink. I followed her outside to her car. My car couldn't get here quick enough. It was embarrassing riding to school with your sister, no matter how cool she is. We climbed in and headed toward the school. I could tell Esme was excited about school starting. She had spent the last week up at the school getting to know her teachers, staff, and trying to get everything in order.

Esme was ten years older than me. I suppose you could say I was a little surprise for my parents. They were told after Esme was born that my mother would never be able to have any other children. Needless to say nine and a half years later, they were shocked when they found out that they were expecting me. Shocked but thrilled.

Esme and I have always been close. She never cared that I was so much younger than she was. She treated me like I was her best friend and not her bratty little brother. So when it came time to make the decision whether or not I should move in with her or go with my parents, I knew that at least if I stayed with her that I would have someone to talk to.

I knew it wouldn't take too long for people to realize that Esme was my sister. We looked a lot alike. We both had the same bronzed hair, only mine is unruly and hers is beautiful. We also have the same emerald green eyes and pale skin. We got our hair color and green eyes from our mother. Our father was a dark haired man with brown eyes.

"Do you want to come wait in my office until the warning bell rings?" asked Esme.

"Um, no," I chuckled. "No offense, Esme, but hanging out in the principal's office is not the best way to start off at a new school."

"Point taken," she laughed. "You know where I am if you need me, Ok?"

"Ok, Es," I said as I opened the car door. "I hope you have a good day."

"You too," smiled Esme.

I climbed out of the car and shut the door behind me. I pulled my back pack up on my shoulder and headed inside. There weren't too many kids here yet but there were enough that they stopped and stared. _Welcome to the first day of my senior year_, I thought to myself.

I made my way down to my first period class, ignoring the stares and whispers. It wasn't anything I wasn't used to. This would be the sixth school I've been to since I started kindergarten. Just one more of the curses of being an army brat. You get used to it after awhile, I guess. After a while they will get tired of me and I will be able to just blend in with everyone else.

I made my way into the back of the classroom and took a seat in the corner. Maybe I could hide back here. As the rest of the kids trickled into the classroom, they would look over at me. I rolled my eyes and looked out the window. So fucking typical. Let's gawk at the new kid.

"Hi," squealed a high pitched nasally voice. I looked over and saw a girl with curly, brown hair and a creepy smile on her face. "I'm Jessica."

"Edward," I relied.

"So your like new, right?" she asked.

"Yep," I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. It's pretty obvious I'm new.

"Oh, I thought so," she giggled. Or at least I thought it was supposed to be a giggle. It sounded more like she was choking. "So where did you move from?"

"DC," I muttered as the teacher came in.

"Welcome back, kids," she said, looking around the classroom. Her eyes fell on me and she smiled. "You must be Edward Masen."

"Yes, ma'am," I said.

"Well, welcome to Forks," she said with a smile. "I'm Mrs. Owens."

"Thanks," I mumbled.

Mrs. Owens passed out our syllabus and started going over the class rules. Same old shit I've heard at every single school I've ever been to. No talking unless talked to first. Raise your hand. Respect each other. Blah, blah, blah. Yada, yada, yada. You would think they would come up with something new like don't get caught sleeping through my lesson or I will flog you within an inch of your life. Or maybe not. That might be a tad bit extreme but if by the time you get to high school you don't know to raise your hand, respect each other, and every other lame ass rule that nobody was going to follow anyway, then you don't deserve to be in high school.

It felt like it took an eternity for the bell to ring but finally it did. I gathered my stuff and headed down to the my next class. Jessica babbled the entire time she walked down the hallway with me. Honestly, I didn't pay attention to one thing she said. I walked into my classroom thankful that she wasn't in my class.

I took my seat in the back and closed my eyes. It had already been a long ass day and it didn't seem to be ending anytime soon. That's pretty much how the rest of the morning went. Each class was just as boring as the first. Jessica seemed to find me in the hallway after each class. I was a little frightened, honestly.

By the time I made it to the cafeteria for lunch, I had a big ass headache and was ready to book the first flight to Italy. Jessica dragged me over to a table where an over eager looking blond girl, a geeky black haired Asian boy, a tall dark haired boy, and a spiky haired blond boy. The three boys all glared at me while the blond girl gave me a flirty smile that honestly freaked me out.

"Everyone, this is Edward Masen," squealed Jessica, pulling me into the seat next to hers. "Edward, this is Lauren Mallory, Eric Yorke, Tyler Crowley, and Mike Newton."

"Oh, it's so nice to meet you, Edward," gushed Lauren, grabbing onto my arm.

"Yeah, you too," I muttered, pulling my arm out of her hand. What's with all the touching?

"So is Ms. Masen is like your mom or something?" asked Tyler.

"Sister," I said.

"Where are your parents?" asked Lauren.

"Italy," I said as the cafeteria doors got thrown open.

I turned and looked over. A girl with long dark brown hair with purple streaks came in. She had a black beanie on over her head. I couldn't really see her eyes but I could tell they were dark. She was wearing a pair of jeans with rips in the knees, a long sleeve black t-shirt with a short sleeve red shirt over it with a black skull. She had thick soled black boots on and black fingerless gloves on her hands. She walked straight through the cafeteria and outside. I turned back to the others sitting at the table.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"Bella Cullen," said Jessica, rolling her eyes. "Don't mess with her. She's crazy."

"Yeah, she used to live in Phoenix until about a year ago. I heard she went totally nuts and killed her parents," explained Lauren.

"That's such bullshit," scoffed Mike. "If she killed her parents, she would be in jail."

"I heard her brothers paid the cops off to get her off." Jessica looked so excited about gossiping about this girl. It made me sick. "We all know that they have money."

"That doesn't mean anything," scoffed Eric. "You can't just buy your way out of jail if you kill someone. Besides, I heard she's pushing drugs."

I tuned them out as they kept talking about Bella. Honestly, I thought it was funny that they would believe any of the shit they were saying. I looked back at Bella. She was sitting on a half wall with her iPod on and her nose stuck in a book. She looked over at me and I quickly turned away. What was it about this girl that pulled me in?

The bell rang and I grabbed my uneaten lunch and tossed it before I followed the others out of the cafeteria. I looked back and saw Bella just sitting there watching me. Or at least I thought she was watching me. I made my way down to my locker and stuck my morning books inside. I rolled my eyes as I followed Jessica down to my fifth period biology class. By the time I got away from her there was only one seat left. The seat next to Bella Cullen.


	2. Chapter 2

2

I stared at Bella for a moment before I slid onto the stool next to her. She had her iPod on so loud I could hear the music coming from them. Hinder was an interesting choice of music to listen to while she doodled on the front of her notebook. Then she looked up at me and just stared. Her eyes were indeed dark. They reminded me of dark milk chocolate. As beautiful as they were, and they were beautiful, they were also lifeless. She had the eyes of a person twice her age. While I knew I should look away, I couldn't break my eyes away from hers.

"I'm Edward Masen," I said. She pulled one of her ear buds out of her ear.

"Did you say something?" she asked dryly. Even though her voice lacked emotion, it was still beautiful, sensual, and dripping with sex.

"I said I'm Edward Masen," I repeated.

"Good to know," she muttered, putting her ear bud back into her ear.

"You're Bella Cullen," I said. She rolled her eyes and pulled her iPod off and dropped it in her bag.

"Congratulations," she said. "The mindless morons here have informed you of who I am. Now you know to leave me the fuck alone."

"Miss Cullen, language like that is not acceptable in my classroom," scolded our teacher as he walked past our table toward the front of the classroom. He set his stuff on his desk and turned and looked back at all of us. "Welcome back to school, kids. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Mr. Banner and this is biology…"

I tuned him out as he started the same spiel that all my morning teachers had. From the corner of my eye I saw Bella pull her iPod back out and went back to her doodle. I sat there and watched Bella throughout the entire lesson. She never looked up from her notebook. She just sat there ignoring the world around her.

Once the bell rang, she stood up and grabbed her stuff. She walked past me without even a glance to me or anyone else for that matter. I watched as everyone just stepped out of her way like they were worried that she would suddenly go crazy and start snapping people's necks. I gathered my stuff and followed her out into the hall. In fact I followed her all the way down to the gym. It would seem that Bella and I had another class together.

She walked in and sat on the bleachers on the opposite side from where everyone else was sitting. She was sitting with her knees pulled up in front of her like she was either trying to disappear or getting ready to spring to her feet and fight. From my place in the doorway, I could see her eyes on me. I smiled at her but she just stared at me completely emotionless.

"Hey, Edward," giggled Lauren, looping her arm in with mine. I swear I saw Bella's eyes narrowed before she looked away.

"Hey," I mumbled, pulling my arm free and looking away from Bella.

"Come sit with me," said Lauren, pulling on my arm.

I barely managed not to roll my eyes as I followed her over to the bleachers and took the seat next to her. I suppose it was better than sitting completely alone. I chanced a look back over at Bella. She was tapping her foot to the beat of whatever song was blaring through her iPod. The gym teacher came in and looked around at all of us.

"Cullen, get over here," he ordered. Bella just sat there staring at him with a bored look on her face. "Now."

Bella stood up and grabbed her stuff . She stomped her feet loudly as she climbed off the bleachers and came over and sat down on the other side of the bleachers. She sat with her back leaning up against the wall behind her and her knees bent up in front of her again.

"I'm Coach Clapp. This year we will be focusing on several different types of sports. We will study everything from badminton to volleyball and everything in between. Now…."

I tuned him out as I rolled my eyes. I detested gym. It wasn't that I wasn't any good at sports but I simply hated them. I wasn't a team player and planned on keeping it like that. Sports were just one more way that you make friends. Making friends as an army brat was a bad thing so you learn pretty quickly not to. Anyway, the only sport I could halfway stand was boxing. My father had been teaching me to box since I was ten years old. It was our thing that we did together.

The bell rang and I looked up to see Bella scramble to her feet and book it out of the gym. I grabbed my stuff and headed out into the hallway with Lauren following me like a lost puppy looking for someone to take her home. I would certainly not be that person.

"So what are you doing now?" asked Lauren.

"Well, I figured since school was over that I would go home," I said.

"Oh, right," giggled Lauren. What was with this girl and giggling? "You could come over to my house. I mean, you know, if you want to."

"Um, no thanks," I said. "I still have a lot of unpacking to do."

"Oh, right, of course you do," said Lauren, clearly disappointed as we stopped at my locker. Bella came rushing by and pushed her into me. Lauren blushed as she snapped around. "Watch it, freak."

"Fuck off , whore," snapped Bella, without turning around. I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing.

"Fucking bitch," muttered Lauren, turning back to me. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."

"Yeah," I said, turning to my locker as Lauren walked away.

I shoved my books into my locker and made my way down to the office. I was told that Esme would be at least another ten minutes so I headed outside to wait by the car. I paused for a moment when I saw Bella kneeling next to a shiny, black motorcycle. I went over so that I was standing behind her.

"Nice bike," I said. She jumped and looked up at me with wide eyes. Fearful eyes. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't," she muttered, looking back at her bike. She pulled her helmet off the back and straddled the bike.

"A Ducati Monster 695 is a nice model," I said.

"I know," said Bella. "Don't you have a cheerleader to fondle?"

"No," I smiled. "I'm not really into cheerleaders."

"Pity for them," she muttered. "You'll be the only boy in this school that they don't get to fuck."

"Sounds like I am the lucky one then," I smirked.

"Edward, are you ready?" asked Esme. I turned and saw her standing next to her car.

"Just a sec," I said.

I turned back to Bella. She had her helmet on. She jump started her bike and took off without another word to me. I went over to the car and climbed into the passenger seat while Esme climbed into the driver's seat.

"Who was that girl?" asked Esme, pulling on her seat belt.

"Bella Cullen," I said, buckling my own seatbelt.

"Oh," said Esme. "I've heard about her already."

"What did you hear?" I asked.

"Just that she's trouble," frowned Esme.

"That's what I heard," I muttered.

"Anyway, how was your first day?" asked Esme, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Fine, I guess," I said. "It's just like any other new school we've been to."

"Let me guess," chuckled Esme. "Everyone stared at you like you had a neon sign over your head."

"Pretty much," I laughed. "You should talk to your teachers about being so boring. They all gave the same lecture. Did you just print them off a copy of the same speech to memorize?"

"Oh my god, how did you know that?" teased Esme, pulling into the parking space of our apartment. "Now, my secret is out."

"I'm just saying they need to be more creative," I chuckled, climbing out of the car. "I mean, how many times do I have to hear that I am to raise my hand before I speak?"

"You need a few more times, smartass," smirked Esme.

"Whatever," I laughed.

I spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking the last of my stuff. Once I had everything where I wanted it, I broke down my boxes and shoved them into the back of my closest. We learned a long time ago to keep our boxes. You never know when you are going to have to move in a matter of days. I went over and started my laptop. I chuckled inwardly when I saw the email from my parents.

To: Edward Masen

Subject: First day of school

From: Elizabeth Masen

Edward,

We would have called but with the time difference we weren't if you would be sleeping or not. How was your first day at a new school? As bad as they usually are? I hope not. Meet anyone new? A new girl perhaps? Don't grumble, I was just asking. It's my right as your mother to want you to be happy.

Your father says hi. He's working so hard trying to get this base in shape. It's been quite the headache for him but I'm sure he will figure it out. He always does. He misses you and Esme, though. He's been worried about the two of you being so far away and on your own. I have too. Is everything going ok? You know you are always welcome to join us in Italy. I miss you, Edward.

I had better go. I'm having lunch with the Admiral's wife, who reminds me of Mrs. Jeffers from Florida. I'm not very excited but at least she speaks English. Please let me know how you are doing, Edward. I love you.

Mom

To: Elizabeth Masen

Subject: Re: First day of school

From: Edward Masen

Mom,

School was…the same as usual. Boring and even more boring. I met a few people at lunch but I don't think we are going to be friends. They seem to enjoy gossiping way too much. Two of them are girls but they reminded me of Mrs. Jeffers' poodle. Yeah, that bad.

Tell Dad I said hi and to stop worrying. I'm sure he's about rubbed all the hair off his head already. Esme and I are fine. I can tell she loves her new job. This will be good for her. She deserves this position. We'll be fine, Mom, but I'll keep Italy in mind, ok?

I had better go help her with dinner. Love you, Mom.

Edward

I sent the email and closed my laptop. I went out to the kitchen and found Esme standing in front of the stove. She had the radio on and was dancing while she cook.

"How much will you pay me if I don't tell everyone you like to dance while you cook?" I teased.

"Nothing," she smirked, looking over at me. "I'll just show them the pictures of you naked in the bathtub when you were a baby."

"You would too," I scoffed.

"Of course I would," she laughed. "That's what big sisters are for."

"What's for dinner?" I asked.

"Chicken stir fry," she said, smiling at me.

"That sound good," I smiled back. I pulled some plates from the cabinet and set the table. "I got an email from Mom."

"I did too," said Esme. "They seem to be ok."

"Yeah," I said. Esme brought the pan over and filled our plates. She set the pan on the stove and sat down across from me. "So how was your first day?"

"Busy," she smiled. "So much to do but I really love it, Edward."

"That's good," I said, trying to smile back.

"You know, I've been thinking," said Esme as we ate. "Maybe we should try to find you a gym or something to train in."

"That would be cool," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Ok, I'll start looking for one tomorrow," smiled Esme.

I just nodded my head and finished eating. I washed my dishes and went back into my room. I spent the rest of the night reading. Eventually my eyes started closing on their own so I changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and climbed into bed. I thought about Bella as I drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

3

I groaned as I rolled over from my side onto my back the next morning. I wasn't ready to get up and I really wasn't excited about going to school with the mindless morons. Well, except for Bella. For some reason, I wanted to see her again. I wanted to talk to her and get to know her but I had a feeling that would easier said than done.

I climbed off my bed and went into my bathroom. I took a quick shower and got dressed, choosing to wear my Black Sabbath t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I brushed my teeth and joined Esme in the kitchen.

"Morning," I said. I went over and poured myself a bowl of cereal.

"Hey, I was looking online last night for a gym, and I found one here in Forks," smiled Esme. "I thought we could check it out after school."

"What kind of gym is it?" I asked, sitting down. "I mean is it just one of those places where people come in and run on a tread mill for half an hour and spend the rest of their time admiring how good their asses look in the mirror? Or is it a real gym where I can actually train without having to deal with a fan club?"

"It's a real gym, smartass," laughed Esme. "For the record it was funny as hell when all those cougars started shaking their asses for you at that gym in DC."

"Funny to you," I scoffed. "I thought it was disgusting. They were all old…like you."

"Fucking brat," laughed Esme, punching me on the arm.

"Abuse, abuse," I teased. "Someone help me. My sister is abusing me."

"Shut up, you big baby," she laughed as she took her coffee cup to the sink. "Seriously, I think we should check out this gym. It would be good for you to have something to do."

"Ok, Esme," I said, seriously. "We can check it out."

"Good," she smiled. "Now, let's get to school."

"Yay!" I mumbled under my breath as I took my bowl over to the sink.

I grabbed my backpack and followed Esme down to her car. A few minutes later, she pulled up in the school parking lot. I looked over and saw Bella's motorcycle a few spaces down from ours. I climbed out and made my way inside and down to my locker. I saw Bella standing in front of her locker. She reached up to put her books in her locker and the sleeve of her shirt came down. My eyes widened when I saw the cuts on her arm.

"What the hell happened to your arm?" I asked, going over to her. She pulled her sleeve down but didn't look at me.

"None of your fucking business," she muttered.

She slammed her locker shut and took off down the hall. I watched her until she rounded the corner. What had happened to her last night? I went over to my locker and grabbed my books and headed down to my first class. I nearly rolled my eyes when Jessica started bouncing in her seat.

"Hi, Edward," she giggled. Again with the annoying giggling.

"Hey, Jessica," I said.

"What did you do last night?" she asked, eagerly.

"Um, just unpacked," I said.

"Oh," she smiled. "Are you done unpacking?"

"Not yet," I lied. "I still have a ton of stuff to unpack."

"Well, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go to the movies after school?" she asked.

"Sorry, I can't," I said, inwardly relieved. "I have plans with my sister."

"Maybe another time," smiled Jessica. I could see the disappointment in her eyes.

"Maybe," I muttered, inwardly praying that she would get the hint that I wasn't interested in her.

Mrs. Owens came in just then and started her class. I was never as relieved to listen to someone babble on about Shakespeare as I was in that moment. I tried to ignore the sideway glances from Jessica. I was going to have to man up soon and tell her straight out that I wasn't interested in her but I didn't want to be a jerk.

Once the bell rang, she followed me back down the hall, just as she did the say before, to my history class. She talked the entire way. I had such a headache already. She watched from the doorway until I took my seat in the back of the classroom, almost like a stalker.

"I see you've become Jessica's latest victim," chuckled a boy next to me. He was about as tall as I was with shaggy black hair and black eyes. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a Poison t-shirt. "Nice shirt."

"Thanks," I said. "Yours is pretty cool, too."

"Thanks," he snorted. "I stole it from my dad. I'm Ben Cheney."

"Edward Masen," I said.

"Oh, I know," he chuckled. "The whole school is talking about the new warden and her baby brother."

"Great," I muttered.

"Don't worry about it, man," said Ben. "They are all just sheep, anyway."

"Oh, trust me, I know," I said. "It never changes."

"Sounds like you know a thing or two about being the new kid," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Army brat," I stated.

"Ah, of course," he laughed. "Makes perfect sense now."

"I suppose," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Mr. Taylor, our history teacher, came in and started class. His lesson was almost as boring as Mrs. Owens' lesson. I zoned out through most of it. I had already learned all of this shit at the last three schools I was in. Maybe I should point that out to Esme. Finally, the bell rang. Ben and I stood up and gathered our stuff.

"Listen, I noticed yesterday you ate lunch with the stepford bitches-"

"Language, Mr. Cheney," said Mr. Taylor

"If you don't want to sit through another round of hearing about who's who and who's not, you can join me and my friends. We usually hang outside by the wall," said Ben, turning and looking at me while completely ignoring Mr. Taylor's reprimand.

"Cool," I said. "Thanks, man."

Ben just nodded his head before he turned and walked out of our classroom. I finished packing up my backpack and headed out into the hall. Thankfully, Jessica wasn't standing out there waiting for me. I quickly made my way down to my next class. My last two classed of the morning, Spanish and Trig, flew by.

I made my way down to the cafeteria and grabbed a slice of overcooked pizza and went outside, ignoring the waves from Lauren and Jessica. I found Ben sitting at a big table with three other people. The first was a tall, thin girl with long black and green hair and stylish black glasses. The other girl had long blond hair and blue eyes. Both girls had on dark eyeliner and shadow. The blond girl was sitting in the lap of a sandy haired boy with steely grey eyes.

"Hey, Edward," said Ben. "This is my girl, Angela Weber. This is Garrett Mitchell and his girl, Kate Denali. Guys, this is Edward Masen. He needs rescuing from the stepford bitches."

"Pull up a chair, Eddie," snickered Garrett.

"Thanks but call me Eddie again and I will have to kick your ass," I said.

"Oh, really?" he smirked.

"Yep," I said.

"Ok, so I won't call you Eddie," he laughed. "I like you. You have balls."

"Last time I checked," I muttered, causing all of them to laugh.

"Ignore Garrett, Edward," laughed Kate. "He's just shitting with you. We've been seriously lacking anyone halfway interesting in this god forsaken town for awhile now."

"Glad I could help keep you all entertained," I smiled.

"So where are you from, Edward?" asked Angela.

"DC," I said.

"Forks must be like moving to hell," she said, smiling.

"Yep," I muttered.

I tuned them all out as they started talking about some party this weekend. Honestly, I wasn't that interested in any parties. I looked around a few times for Bella but she never showed up. I almost asked Ben about her but decided not to. The bell rang ending lunch and I gathered my stuff and headed off to my biology class.

I figured Bella would have to be in class at least but she wasn't. In the back of my mind was the nagging feeling that she wasn't here because of me. After Biology went by at a snails pace, I headed down to the gym. I changed into my gym clothes and headed into the gym.

"Hey, Edward," smiled Lauren, looping her arm in with mine. I rolled my eyes and pulled my arm away.

"Lauren," I said.

"Why didn't you come sit with us at lunch?" asked Lauren.

"Ben Cheney asked if I would sit with them, so I did," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Edward, I'm only telling you this because you're new and I like you," smiled Lauren. A creepy, stalker smile. "But you don't want to get mixed up with Ben Cheney and his group of misfits. They are all just a bunch of stoners who talk about giving to the man but in reality, they just don't fit in. Now you, on the other hand, have the chance to be someone at this school, if you make the right choices."

"Let me guess. You and your friends are the right type of friends for me?" I asked.

"Yes," she smiled, leaning closer to me. "We can make sure that you are happy here with us, in every way."

"You know what, Lauren," I said, stepping away from her. "I don't think so. I think I would rather hang out with the so called group of misfits."

"You don't mean that, Eddie. I promise that I can make you very happy, if you know what I mean," she giggled, running her hand down my chest. I grabbed her hand and threw it off of me.

"Oh, but I do mean it, Lauren," I snapped, harshly. "And don't call me Eddie."

I turned and joined the others in the middle of the gym, leaving Lauren looking shocked and flabbergasted. I'm guessing nobody really refuses her offer to be in the 'in' crowd. She spent nearly all of gym on her cell phone, texting. I had a feeling nearly the entire school knew by now that I had rejected the Lauren Mallory.

As soon as gym was over, I quickly changed and headed down to my locker. Everyone was staring at me like I had leprosy. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed what I needed from my locker and headed out to Esme's car. I tossed my stuff into the backseat and stood next to the car and waited.

"Hey, Edward, I heard you informed the head stepford bitch that you are not going to let her you as her evil pawn," chuckled Angela as she, Ben, Kate, and Garrett walked by.

"Yep," I said.

"Welcome to the misfits club," snickered Garrett. "I hope you are ready for a bumpy year."

"I'm sure I can handle it," I said.

"I hope so," muttered Kate.

They headed down and climbed into their car. A few minutes later, Esme came rushing out of the school. She looked tired. I'm guessing day two didn't go quite as well as day one.

"You ok, Es?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "Just a long day."

"We don't have to check out this gym today. We can wait until tomorrow," I suggested.

"Nope," she chuckled. "I'm fine, Edward. Just a lot of paper work to deal with when school starts."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I'm sure," she smiled. "Let's go."

I just nodded as I climbed into the car. I knew better than to argue with Esme. Once she set her mind to something, there was no changing it. A few minutes later, Esme pulled her car up in front a large but shabby looking gym called Eclipse Gym. I didn't say anything as I climbed out of the car with Esme but this didn't look very promising to me.

We walked in and I looked around. It was much nicer on the inside. There was a large ring in the middle of the gym where a large, bear like of a man was sparring with a much smaller boxer. The sides were lined with punching bags and speed bags. There were a handful of weight benches on the other side of the large room. I turned my attention back to the two people sparing in the ring. They stopped fighting as they looked over at me and Esme. The smaller of the two, pulled off their headgear. My mouth fell open when I saw Bella Cullen standing in the middle of the ring.


	4. Chapter 4

4

"Can I help you?" asked a man, coming out of a office to our right. I tore my eyes off of Bella and looked over at him. He was tall and thin with wavy blond hair and blue eyes. He had a small smile on his face as he looked Esme over, who was blushing.

"Um, yes," giggled Esme. I nearly rolled my eyes. "I'm Esme Masen. This is my brother, Edward. We, um, were looking for a gym for him to train in."

"Oh, I see," smiled the man but it didn't seem real suddenly. "Well, I'm Carlisle Cullen. Look, we appreciate the business but we don't have the time to train a beginner."

"I'm not a beginner," I said. He chuckled and looked over at me.

"Watching movies and punching a mattress is not exactly training," he smirked, smugly.

"That's true," I said, harshly. Esme reached back and put her hand on mine to stop me from talking.

"Mr. Cullen, Edward has been training as a boxer for eight years," smiled Esme. Carlisle sighed and looked over at Bella and the man in the ring. Bella shook her head frantically.

"I say let's take a look at him," shrugged the bear sized man, causing Bella to glare at him. "Doesn't hurt, right?"

"Suppose not," mumbled Carlisle, looking back at me and Esme. "Ok, here's the deal. You can go a couple rounds with Bella. Depending on how you do against her, we might be able to take you on here."

"I'm not fighting her," I snapped.

"You fight her or you don't fight here at all," snapped Carlisle. "She's the only fighter close to your weight class here right now."

"She's a girl," I muttered, through clenched teeth. "My father taught me not to hit a girl."

"Did you just wuss out using the girl card?" scoffed Bella. I looked back over at her. "You know what, run along home and go play with your Barbie's, Princess. I have training to do."

"Edward, this is the only gym in Forks. The closest one from here is in Port Angeles," whispered Esme, turning toward me. Bella slipped her headgear back on her head. "That's at least an hour away."

"Fucking great," I muttered under my breath. "Fine, I fight her."

"About fucking time, pretty boy," smirked Bella.

"Bell, shut the fuck up," hissed Carlisle. Bella rolled her eyes and climbed up on the ropes and sat down. Carlisle turned back to me. "I'm assuming you don't have a change of clothes on you?"

"Nope," I said.

"Fine," he said. "I can get you something to wear. Emmett, get his stuff ready."

"Ok," said Emmett, jumping over the ropes and running into the back. Bella just rolled her eyes as I followed Carlisle to the dressing room.

"Here are some shorts and a tee. No shoes or socks for now. Let's get this done," sighed Carlisle, tossing me the black cotton shorts and a white t-shirt.

He turned and walked out. I sighed as I kicked off my shoes. I stripped off my clothes and pulled on the clothes he had tossed me. They were a little too small but they would be ok. I made my way back out to the ring. Carlisle quickly wrapped my hands and gloved me. He gave me a mouthpiece and helped me get my headgear on. I climbed into the ring and stretched for a minute. Emmett stepped back in. He had a big smirk on his face.

"Alright kids, I want a clean fight. No kicks to the nuts,. Bella," he warned her. She rolled her eyes. "We will do three rounds. When you are ready, touch gloves and go back to your corners."

I stepped up and bumped my gloves against Bella's. I swear she growled as she went back to her corner. I went back to mine. Carlisle rang the bell and I stepped toward Bella watching her as she moved from side to side. She was very quick. She threw a right and hit me square in the jaw. Even with the headgear, it stung a little. She tried to swing a left but I blocked it and threw an upper cut. She groaned softly and I almost felt bad but them she threw her right with a left following. I was able to block the right but the left caught me in the shoulder. I threw my right but she blocked it.

We continued to spar like for about another half hour before they finally called the match. Our three rounds went by so fast that it didn't even feel like three rounds. I'll admit that Bella packed quite a punch. We climbed out of the ring and cut off our gloves before headed over to where Carlisle and Emmett were having a serious conversation that ceased as soon as we stepped up. The door to the gym opened and I turned to see a tall, muscular man come in. He had wavy blond hair and blue eyes.

"What's up?" he asked, looking from me to Esme. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Edward," I said, simply.

"Oh, thanks cause that clears it up," he said, sarcastically.

"Jasper, this is Esme Masen, and her brother Edward. They would like Edward to train here," explained Carlisle, giving Jasper a look. Jasper looked over at Bella. I followed his eyes and noticed she was looking at the ground, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"No," said Jasper, looking back at Carlisle. "No fucking way, Car."

"Jas, he's good," urged Carlisle. "He needs some polishing and to stop being such a pussy but he's good. He's a natural."

"Car, dude, you know-" started Jasper.

"You know what, just fucking bring him into the program," snapped Bella. Everyone looked over at her. However, she looked over at me. "I hope you know what you are getting into, pretty boy. This isn't some summer camp boxing league. These fighters are going to own your ass if you don't man up and stop being a fucking girl."

Bella dropped her gloves and headgear at Emmett's feet before she turned and ran into the ladies dressing room. I shook my head softly as I looked back at the others. I don't know why that girl hates me so much but it's clear that she does.

"Fine," muttered Jasper, looking up at me. He shook his head. "I hope you're worth it."

"So, does this means he's in?" asked Esme. She looked so confused. Carlisle looked up at Emmett.

"Fine," sighed Emmett.

"Yeah, he's in," said Carlisle, looking back at me and Esme. "We train everyday right after school. No excuses. We don't have very long to get you ready for the season and you need all the work you can get. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Cullen," I said. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not sir or Mr. Cullen. I'm Carlisle. If you call me either of the other, I will kick your ass our of my gym, got it?"

"Got it," I said, through gritted teeth. He laughed.

"If you think you don't like me now, just wait a couple days," he smirked. "Mrs. Masen, I have the paper work for you to fill out and return to us tomorrow in my office."

"It's Ms. Masen," smirked Esme. "And you can call me Esme, or I will kick your ass. Got it?"

"Yes, Esme," smiled Carlisle. He and Esme headed into his office.

"Oh, brother," groaned Emmett, grabbing Bella's gear and ripping mine from my hands. "Go change, Pretty boy. Some of us pretend to have lives."

"You wish, Em," snickered Jasper.

I sighed inwardly as I made my way into the locker room and sat down on the bench. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into here or that it would be worth it to be treated like I was the scum of the earth. I shook my head slightly and stripped off the gym clothes and pulled mine back on. I slipped on my black chunks and ran my fingers through my hair. I grabbed the clothes and headed back out to the front of the gym. Bella was standing there with her iPod on. She looked up at me and watched me as I made my way over to Carlisle and Esme.

"You can wash those and bring them back," said Carlisle. "I'm not a laundry service."

"Fine," I said.

"Ok, well, if you are sure you really want to do this, then I guess we will see you after school tomorrow. Don't be late," sighed Carlisle, glancing over at Bella. She had her head down as she listened to her music. He looked back at me. "Really, think about if this is what you want, Kid. This isn't going to be easy."

"I will," I said.

He just nodded before Esme and I made our way out to the car. We didn't speak as we headed back to the apartment. We went up and I threw the gym clothes into the washer and went into my bathroom and stripped off my clothes and took a quick shower. I dried off and threw on a pair of shorts and a clean t-shirt. I went back out and found Esme sitting at the kitchen table, tapping her nails nervously. She only does that went she is really worried.

"What's wrong, Es?" I asked, sitting across from her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked.

"It was your idea," I chuckled.

"I know," she sighed, "but I was thinking it would just be a place for you to go work out everyday. You know, work out all the teenage angst you have about life sucking and all. Edward, they want to take you to tournaments all over the state, possibly the country."

"Ok," I said, slowly. "So you don't think I should do it?"

"That's not what I'm saying," sighed Esme. "I don't know how to make this decision. If Dad were here, he would know what to do!"

"But he's not," I said, standing up. "Esme, as hateful as this is going to sound, Mom and Dad made the choice to go to Italy. I know that Dad didn't have a lot of options there but…I want to do it."

"Are you sure?" asked Esme. "Because that means like no social life with the time they are going to want you to spend at that gym."

"Cause my social life has been so amazing so far," I snorted as I went over to the refrigerator and grabbed us each a bottle of water. "Esme, do you not want me to do this?"

"Edward, I want what ever will make you happy," smiled Esme, taking the water from me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said, looking down at me feet. "Esme, I want to do this. It felt good to be in that ring. You know, maybe it's time I actually got involved in something instead of sulking all the time, as you put it."

"Ok," smiled Esme. "I'll fill out the paper work for you to take with you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Es," I smiled. "Now, let's talk about you flirting with Carlisle."

"I was not," she laughed, swatting me in the arm.

"Oh, you so were," I teased. "It was actually really gross."

"You are such a shit sometimes," laughed Esme. "Go do your homework. I'll call in a pizza for dinner. Apparently you need to bulk up."

I groaned as I went over and flopped down on the sofa. Esme just laughed at me. I grabbed my backpack and went into my room and started on my homework. Eventually I managed to get my homework done. I joined Esme in the living room for pizza and a movie. Once we were done with both, I went back into my room, and climbed into bed. For the second straight night, I dreamed of Bella.


	5. Chapter 5

5

BPOV

"_Hide, Bella," whispered my father, pushing me toward the stairs as the banging on the front door increased. "Go hide in your secret place."_

"_Daddy," I whispered._

"_They've cut the phone lines," cried my mother, running in from the kitchen._

"_Go, honey," he whispered, letting a tear slip down his face. "Please, go hide for me and mamma."_

_I turned and ran up the stairs. I threw my bedroom door open and ran into my closest. I crawled into the small cubby hole in the back of my closet and pulled my knees to my chest as I let my tears fall. I heard a loud bang as the front door got thrown open. _

"_Get out of my house," came my father's voice through the air vents leading from the downstairs part of our house. _

"_I don't think we will be," came the voice of another man. I tightened my arms around my knees, trying hard not to cry out or scream for my parents. _

"_Take what you want from the house but leave us alone," came my mothers voice._

"_What if I said that I want you and your precious little daughter? Could I have those?" asked the man._

"_NO," yelled my father. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" _

"_DON'T TOUCH ME!" screamed my mother. "NOOO!"_

"_GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF HER," shouted my father._

"NOOOOOOOOO," I screamed as I thrashed around in my bed. "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

"It's ok, Bella," whispered Jasper, pinning my arms down to my bed. I frantically searched around the room, looking for any sign that they were here. "Hey, look at me Bell."

I snapped my eyes over to his. He slowly let go of my arms as I calmed my breathing down. I slid up so that I was sitting up with my knees pulled to my chest. Carlisle and Emmett came in with my meds and a bottle of water. I took the meds without saying anything. They sat down on the edge of bed and waited for me to say something.

"I'm fine," I muttered, not making eye contact with them.

"Same dream as usual?" asked Jasper. I nodded my head softly.

"Bella, maybe it's time to talk to someone," said Carlisle.

"No, I'm fine," I mumbled, climbing off my bed. "I'm going to go running."

"Bell…" whispered Emmett, grabbing my hand. I stopped and looked at him.

"I'm ok now, Em," I whispered. "Please let me go."

He just nodded and let go of my hand. I grabbed my sweatpants and t-shirt and headed into my bathroom. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it. I looked down at my arms. I had more scratches from hurting myself in my sleep. Just what I needed, I thought to myself. I quickly changed from my pajamas into my running clothes. I went back into my room and slipped on my shoes, a sweatshirt, a baseball hat, and grabbed my iPod.

I made my way out into the living room of the large apartment I shared with my brothers. They were sitting around the living room pretending that they hasn't just been talking about me and my latest panic attack. I ignored them as I made my way outside, down the backstairs and started running through the quiet streets of Forks, my own personnel hell.

I knew my brothers were only worried about me. It's been almost two years and the nightmares are still there. Maybe I do need to talk to someone but I can't trust anyone other than them right now. They are the only ones who had the faintest idea how angry I felt everyday. I shook my head slightly. I don't let myself think about that day.

Carlisle is the oldest of the four of us. Well, there is my sister but we don't talk about her. He is twenty-eight but sometimes, I think that the last couple of years had tripled his age. He's the worrier of the family. He stresses the most about my training, my mental heath, my physical heath, and my emotional wellbeing. He used to always talk about going to medical school and becoming a doctor but he didn't. Instead, he focuses all his attention onto me and my brothers.

Emmett is the next oldest. He is twenty-five and a complete goof ball most of the time. He claims it's his responsibility to keep us all laughing. Where Carlisle is the worrier of the family, Emmett is the family protector. He stresses the most about not being able to fight my battles for me but there are some things he can't fight for me, no matter how hard he tries. Usually the only person who can talk some sense into his thick skull is his long-time girlfriend, Rosalie Hale. They've been together since high school.

Jasper just turned twenty-one a few weeks ago. He's the blunt, straight to the point and I don't care if you like me type. He has no problem with laying it on the line and telling you just how much he hates you. He's a good guy, he just doesn't have time for games. He's been seeing Alice Brandon for the better part of the last two years. She's even more in your face than Jasper is.

Then there is me, Isabella Cullen. I'm the troubled, crazy, psychotic one of the family. At least that's the latest rumor running through the gossip mills of Forks. Maybe they are right. I'm the baby of the family of overprotective brothers. I will be eighteen in a few months, something I am not looking forward too. I used to love my birthday but now, not so much.

I turned around about two miles down the road and made my way back to the gym. The four of us lived in the apartment above the large building. I groaned when I saw Rose and Alice's cars parked in front of the gym. I love them both but I was not in the mood to discuss my fashion issues this morning. I made my way up to the apartment and headed inside. The five of them stopped talking as soon as I walked in.

"Gee, that doesn't make me think you were just talking about me or anything," I muttered as I walked past them. "Carry on now but I am not going to a shrink, Car. You might as well give up now."

"Stubborn bitch," he yelled.

"Pain in the ass," I yelled back as I walked into my room and shut the door.

We had this conversation a lot over the past twelve plus months. It always ended the same, him calling me some variation of a bitch and me calling him a pain in the ass. I went into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. I stripped out of my clothes and climbed in. I bit back my hiss as the water hit the scratches on my arms. I quickly showered and dried off. I went back into my room and rolled my eyes at the blue skirt and matching top that Alice had laid on my bed. She never gave up on her quest to make me up.

I ignored those clothes and pulled on a pair of jeans, a long sleeve black t-shirt with the poison symbol on the front, and my black motorcycle boots. I dried my hair but left it down. Alice and Rose both hated the purple streaks, which just made me smile even more. I grabbed my leather jacket, helmet, and backpack before I made my way back into the kitchen.

"Gee, nice outfit, Bella," griped Alice. "Would it kill you to actually wear a skirt?"

"Yes, Alice, it would," I smirked, pouring myself a bowl of cereal

"You need to eat more than that," mumbled Carlisle.

"No, I don't," I mumbled back. "I'm inside my weight class."

"Barely," snorted Jasper. I glared at him as I dumped my uneaten cereal in the sink. "That's great, Bell. You are going to be starving by lunchtime."

"Glad you liked it," I smirked. I tossed my iPod into my backpack and pulled on my leather jacket.

"Are you going to be ok with Edward training here?" asked Carlisle.

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked, not looking at him as I threw my backpack on.

"Because of Phoenix," muttered Carlisle. I froze in mid-step for a split second before I kept walking to the door. "Bella."

"I'm fine, Car," I snapped, throwing the door open. "Just leave me the fuck alone, ok?"

I slammed the door shut behind me and ran down the backstairs, ignoring them as they yelled for me to come back. I pulled on my helmet and jumped on my bike and headed off to school, desperately trying not to think about that night.

I parked my motorcycle in the parking lot and climbed off. I headed into the school and saw Edward standing next to my locker. Most of the kids had learned a long time ago to leave me alone but he didn't seem to understand that all I wanted was to be left alone. I ignored him as I went over to my locker and shoved my helmet inside.

"Morning, Bella," he smiled, cheerfully. It was way too fucking early for him to be so cheerful. I continued to ignore him as I shoved my books into my locker and slammed the door shut. "So I'm guessing you aren't going to talk to me? Maybe you are just pissed about me kicking your ass yesterday."

I stopped and looked back at him. He had a fucking smirk on his face. I really wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face but I wasn't in the mood to go visit with his sister today.

"You didn't kick my ass, pretty boy. I totally dominated you but don't worry, I won't tell anyone how you nearly cried like a girl."

"That's funny, Bella," chuckled Edward as he started walking down the hallway with me.

"Leave me alone," I growled at him.

"No," he said. I stopped and looked back at him.

"What will it take for you to leave me alone?" I asked.

"Tell me how you cut your arms," he said. I stepped back from him and shook my head. "Then I guess, I can't leave you alone."

"Look, you seem like a….somewhat normal person. Just do yourself a favor and go fuck a cheerleader," I said. "The STD you will catch will go away with some cream but at least then you will be liked, which is what you are so desperately want apparently."

"I don't care if you like me, Bella," said Edward. "But I'm not going anywhere. You might as well get used to having me around. Next time we spar, I won't be holding back."

"I won't either," I snapped, turning and walking away from him.

I made my way down to my first period trig class and took my seat in the back. I don't know what it was about Edward but he really pisses me off. My morning classes dragged by. You would think that these teachers would find something new to teach us or at the very least, a new way of teaching us the same old shit.

By the time the lunch bell rang, I was starving. I inwardly cursed my brothers for pissing me off causing me to dump my perfectly good breakfast down the drain. I stopped at my locker and shoved my books inside before I headed down to the cafeteria. I normally wouldn't even think about eating the shit they call food here but I was desperate at this point.

I grabbed a slice of pizza, a bag of chips, and a coke and headed out to the wall. I froze in my tracks when I saw Edward sitting next to Ben. Could this day get any worse?

"Hey, Bella?" asked Lauren Mallory. I turned around and looked at her. She smirked as she threw her coke in my face.


	6. Chapter 6

6

**EPOV**

"Hey, Bella?" asked Lauren Mallory. Bella turned around and looked at her. Lauren smirked as she threw her coke in Bella's face. "That's for calling me a whore the other day."

"You fucking bitch," snapped Bella, dropping her tray and lunging for Lauren. I jumped over the table and pulled Bella back before she did something stupid, while Ben and everyone just watched with smirks on their faces. "FUCKING LET ME GO. I'LL KILL THAT FUCKING BITCH."

"Calm down, Bella," I snapped, pulling her behind me. I turned to Lauren who was smirking at us. "I would get the fuck out of here before I let her go and she kicks your fucking ass, you skanky whore."

"You picked the wrong side, Eddie," sneered Lauren, before she turned and walked back into the cafeteria. Of course, everyone inside the cafeteria was watching what had happened between me, Lauren, and Bella. I turned back to Bella, who was shaking with rage.

"Are you ok?" I asked. She snapped her eyes up to mine as she threw my arm off of her.

"I didn't ask for you help and I certainly didn't need it," snapped Bella. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

Bella turned and jumped over the low wall and took off running. I rolled my eyes as I jumped over the wall and ran after her. She ran out to the parking lot and jumped on her bike. I grabbed her arm before she could take off. She looked up at me with a look of fear and hatred. I climbed onto the back of her bike and wrapped my arms around her waist. It was odd how normal it felt. Bella didn't say anything as she tore out of the parking lot.

I expected Bella to drive to the gym but she didn't. She drove through Forks and down the highway to someplace called La Push. She drove down to the beach and parked her bike. I unwrapped my arms around her waist and climbed off her bike. She climbed off and headed down to the beach without even glancing back at me.

I wasn't sure if I should follow her or not but I felt weird just standing by her bike so I went after her. Bella walked for a few minutes before she sat down in the sand. She pulled her boots and socks off and buried her feet in the sand. I sat down next to her. For several minutes, neither of us said anything. I wasn't sure what to say to her. I mean I was just trying to help. She's was so hard to read.

"Where are you from?" asked Bella, without looking at me.

"DC," I said.

"Why did you move to Forks?" she asked.

"Esme got a job here," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"Where are your parents?" she asked, looking over at me for the first time. She had tears swimming in her eyes.

"They are in Italy," I said, bending my knees and laying my arms on them. "My father is a colonel in the Army. They sent him to one of their bases in Italy to clean it up. I didn't want to go with him and my mother so I moved in with my sister."

"Do you miss them?" she whispered, letting a tear slip from her eye.

"Yes," I said, looking back at the water. "We were incredibly close. My father was the one who taught me how to box. It was always our thing."

"I get that," muttered Bella, looking away from me.

"Tell me about the cuts on your arm," I whispered. Bella sighed as she shook her head slightly.

"Why do you care?" she asked, looking back at me. "I mean, have I given you the impression that I want the attention you seem to think I want?"

"No," I said, standing up. "But maybe for the first time in my life, I've met someone that I think is worth being friends with. Maybe I'm tired of being lonely all the time but I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, Bella. I certainly don't mean to."

I turned and headed back up the beach toward Bella's motorcycle. Honestly, I wasn't sure myself why I was so intrigued by Bella. Maybe it was that I was lonely. I've never let anyone, other than Esme, into my life. It was easier that way when you moved around as much as we did but it got old really fast. I walked past her bike and headed to the highway and started back to Forks. A few minutes later, Bella pulled up next to me on her bike.

"Get on," she ordered.

"No," I said.

"Don't be a baby. Get on," she said. I stopped and looked at her.

"Why should I?" I asked. "You've made your opinion of me very clear, Bella. You don't want me around. I get it, ok?"

"Look, I'm sorry for being a bitch," said Bella, "but my life is really fucked up right now. It's just easier not to care about people."

"Well, no one is asking you to," I sighed. I turned and started walking down the road again.

"I hurt myself in my sleep," said Bella. I stopped and looked back at her. She closed her eyes and pulled up the sleeves on her shirt, showing me the cuts on her arms. "It's a long story that I don't really want to get into right now but I have horrible nightmares sometimes. I lashed out and hurt myself."

"Oh," I whispered.

"Yeah," she muttered. "Will you please get on?"

"Ok," I muttered, feeling like a complete ass for pushing her.

I went over and climbed onto the back of her bike again. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around her waist, loosely. Bella reached down and tightened my arms around her. It was an unspoken gesture. She pulled her bike back onto the highway and headed back to La Push. I expected her to go back to the beach but she didn't. This time she drove through the small town to a diner that sat right on the edge of town. There weren't any other cars in the parking lot. I wasn't even sure it was open.

I slowly unwrapped my arms from around her waist and climbed off the bike. I held my hand out to her so I could help her off. Bella smiled softly as she placed her hand on mine and climbed off. She quickly pulled her hand away and headed up to the front door of the diner. I just shook my head and followed her. We walked in and Bella led me over to the counter. She went around to the sink and washed the coke off her face and neck.

She came back around and sat down next to me as a tall russet skin man came out from the kitchen. He had long black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and dark black eyes. He smiled as he looked over and saw Bella.

"Hey, kid," he said. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"Long morning," said Bella. She turned to me. "Edward, this is Jacob Black. Jacob and his wife, Vanessa, own this diner. Jake, this is Edward Masen. He's new to Forks."

"It's nice to meet you," I said, sticking my hand out. Jake looked from me to my hand before rolling his eyes. I dropped my hand.

"Yeah, you too," chuckled Jacob, looking back at Bella. "So what happened and why do you reek of coke?"

"Lauren," said Bella.

"Again?" sighed Jacob. "How many black eyes does that girl need to learn to leave you alone?"

"Well, she didn't get one this time," grumbled Bella. "Edward stopped me from beating her ass, again."

"Why would you do that?" asked Jacob, looking at me with hatred. "That little bitch throws a coke on her and you don't let her beat the bitch down."

"I figured it would be better to stop her than to let her get into trouble," I explained. Jacob rolled his eyes and went over and filled two cups with ice water. He set them in front of us.

"You know, kid, sometimes a little trouble is worth it," smirked Jacob.

"Yeah, well, I happen to know the new principal is a real ball buster," I replied.

"Oh, please," scoffed Jacob. "I can't believe a big guy like you is scared of the principal."

"Jake, she's his sister," laughed Bella. Jacob busted out laughing as he looked from Bella back to me.

"Wow, that must suck ass," snorted Jacob.

"Not really," I said, dryly. I wasn't enjoying this game of let's pick on my sister.

"Yeah, suppose not," chuckled Jacob. He shook his head and looked back at Bella. "So why are you here?"

"I'm fucking starving and if I go home all I will hear are my brothers' bitching at me about eating breakfast," explained Bella. I cocked an eyebrow at her. "Long story."

"You seemed to have a lot of those," I smiled.

"Guess so," shrugged Bella.

"Ok, so what do you kids what?" asked Jacob.

"Bring us each a bacon cheeseburger with everything, curly fries, and chocolate milkshakes," said Bella.

"Coming right up," winked Jacob. He turned and went into the back. I turned on my stool and looked at Bella.

"Brothers?" I asked. She snorted and looked over at me.

"Yep, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper are my brothers," said Bella.

"I see," I said. "Guess that explains why they are so protective of you."

"I guess," muttered Bella. She got a dark look on her face for a split second before she shook it off.

"So how long have you been boxing?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Since I was born probably," smiled Bella, turning toward me. "My parents owned a gym in Phoenix. They trained all of us how to fight from the time we could walk."

"You seem to really like it," I said.

"I love it," she sighed. "When I step into the ring, I feel powerful. I feel untouchable. It's my…comfort zone, I guess, and I will do whatever I can to protect it."

"I get that," I said.

"Have you ever competed?" she asked.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Edward, don't take this the wrong the way buy are you sure you really want to?" asked Bella. "Cause, I meant what I said last night. If you don't man up and stop fighting like a girl, they are going to own your ass."

"I'm sure," I said, harshly. "I can handle it."

"If you say so," snorted Bella as Jacob brought our food out.

Bella didn't say anything else as she started eating. It was a little gross watching her cram her food into her mouth. I wasn't even sure she was really chewing. We finished eating and paid Jacob for our food, even though he tried to refuse our money. Bella scowled when I insisted on paying for our lunch but I figured it was the least I could do for not letting her punch Lauren Mallory in the face.

We made our way back out to her bike and climbed on. This time I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms tightly around Bella's waist. She drove us back to Forks. She stopped by my apartment so I could grab my work out clothes before we headed over to the gym. She parked her bike in the alley and led me in through the backdoor. We walked into the gym and froze when we saw Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper sitting with Esme. None of them looked very happy.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Bella and I just stood there in the doorway staring at our siblings while they stared back at us. I wasn't really sure what to say. I'm sure Esme was pissed to hell about us skipping our afternoon classes but I don't regret it. I looked over at Bella. She seemed to be having a staring contest with Carlisle. After a few moments, he turned away, muttering under his breath.

"Well, Edward," said Esme, standing up. "Would you like to explain why you skipped your afternoon classes?"

"No," I replied, earning myself another glare from Esme.

"Bella, how about you?" asked Carlisle, glaring at her. "We've had this discussion before. You can't just leave school whenever you want, no matter how boring the lessons are."

"Prick," muttered Esme. I bit my cheek to stop from laughing.

"Lauren," said Bella, simply. Carlisle rolled his eyes and shared a look with his brothers, who looked more understanding now.

"Is that little bitch messing with you again?" asked Emmett, standing up. Bella simply nodded her head.

"Fucking little bitch just won't stop until you hurt her," muttered Emmett, shaking his head.

"Exactly what happened?" asked Esme, looking around at all of us.

"Lauren, threw a coke in her face," I explained, when Bella said nothing.

"Why did she throw a coke in your face, Bella?" asked Esme.

"It doesn't matter," muttered Bella, heading to the dressing room. "Pretty boy, go change. We have training to do."

"Bella, stop," ordered Carlisle. Bella just ignored him as she kept going. "Isabella Marie Cullen, fucking stop right now."

Bella stopped but didn't turn around. I looked around at everyone. Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper seemed to be having a silent argument. Esme seemed just as confused as I was about what was going on. A moment later, Jasper through his hands up and shook his head.

"Fine," mumbled Jasper, "but you know what is going to happen."

"I know," muttered Carlisle. He turned back to the rest of us. "Bella, look at me."

"No," muttered Bella.

"Bella, look at me," ordered Carlisle.

Bella slowly turned around so she was facing him but she kept her face to the ground. Carlisle went over and stood in front of her. He leaned down and started whispering to her. She shook her head several times until he gabbed her head and forced it still.

"DON'T FUCKING TOCH ME!" screamed Bella, pushing him off of her. Her face was full of rage. "I'M NOT GOING AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME."

"I'm just trying to help you, goddamn it," yelled Carlisle.

"You can't," hissed Bella. "No one can help me. Don't you fucking get it, Car. "

"You won't let us," he snapped at her.

"I won't go back there," she muttered, shaking her head. She took several steps back and looked over at me. "Let's get out of here."

"Bella-"

"Please, Edward," whispered Bella. There was something in her eyes that told me that she needed me to go with her.

"Ok," I said.

I ran over and grabbed her hand as we ran out the back door of the gym. I heard everyone yelling at us to stop as we jumped on the back of Bella's bike and took off. I kept my arms tightly wrapped around Bella's waist as Bella drove us out of Forks. I wasn't sure where she was taking me this time or why she needed me to go with her but right now, I didn't care. All that mattered was Bella needed someone and that person was me, at least for now.

Bella turned onto a dirt road and drove for a while longer before she stopped the bike. I climbed off and held out my hand to her. She didn't hesitate at all about taking it and this time she didn't let go when she got off. She led me through a small cluster of trees before she stopped.

We were standing on the top of some cliffs that over looked the ocean. You could see the rocky bottom as the waves crashed against them with a loud smack. Bella just stood there for several minutes and watched the waves roll over the sharp rocks.

"Have you ever thought about just ending it all?" asked Bella.

"No," I answered honestly. "Have you?"

"Everyday for seven hundred and nine days," muttered Bella. She stepped closer to the edge but clutched my hand tighter in hers. "It would be so easy to just jump and let the water wash my pain away."

"You can't do that," I said, pulling on her hand. She stepped back but didn't look at me.

"Why can't I?" she asked as a tear slipped down her face. She fell to her knees, pulling me down with her. "Why can't I go where it doesn't hurt anymore?"

"Because I need you to stay here and teach me how not to fight like a girl," I whispered. She tried to laugh but she just started sobbing instead. I pulled her into my lap and wrapped my arms around her. "It's ok, Bella."

"It's not ok," she cried. "Nothing is ok."

I didn't know what to say so I just held her in my arms and rocked her while she cried. She clutched at the front of my shirt while she cried harder and harder. Sometimes she would stop crying for several minutes but her grip on my shirt never loosened. Then she would scream out and start crying again. I felt so helpless holding her. I wanted to ask her what was going on but I could tell that she wouldn't tell me if I did. Right now, all she needed was for me to hold her, so I did.

Bella and I sat on the side of those cliffs well after the sun went down. She started shivering so I stood up with her in my arms and carried her back through the woods to her bike. I set her on her feet and climbed on. She didn't say anything as she handed me her key and climbed on behind me.

"Where do you want me to take you?" I whispered.

"I don't care," she murmured, wrapping her arms around my waist and laying her head on my back. "Just not back to the gym."

"Ok," I whispered.

I started her bike and headed back the way we came. A few minutes later, I pulled her bike back onto the highway and back to Forks. I didn't know where else to go so I took her back to mine and Esme's apartment. I parked her bike next to Esme's car and we climbed off. Bella was so cold she could barely walk so I swept her into my arms. She started to protest but stopped and laid her head on my chest and started to cry again.

I carried her up the stairs to mine and Esme's apartment. I couldn't unlock the door and hold Bella at the same time so I just kicked the door several times. A few moments later, Esme pulled the door open. She took one look at crying girl in my arms and stepped out of the way. I just walked past Esme and carried Bella into my room.

"Esme, make her some hot chocolate," I yelled.

"Ok," said Esme from behind me.

"Don't let her call them," whispered Bella, looking me in the eye. "Please?"

"Ok," I whispered. I laid her on the bed. Bella just flopped over like a rag doll. I went out into the kitchen and found Esme with the phone I her hand. I snatched it away. "You can't call them, Esme."

"Edward, I have to," said Esme. "Look, I can tell there is something going on with that girl but I have to call her brothers and let them know that she is ok. They are worried sick about her."

"Fine, but she's staying here tonight, Esme," I whispered. Esme started to protest but I stopped her. "She scared, Esme, and right now, she needs me."

"Ok, Edward," whispered Esme. "I'll do what I can to stop them from rushing over here but I can't promise anything."

"Thank you," I whispered.

I went back into my room and found Bella curled up in the corner of my room. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them. Her eyes were wide and full of fear. I slowly went over and knelt in front of her. She looked up at me and let a tear fall from her eye.

"Are they coming for me?" she whispered.

"Probably," I whispered. I lifted her into my arms and carried her over to the bed. "You'll be more comfortable here."

"They want to send me away again," whispered Bella.

"I won't let them send you away, Bella," I whispered.

"Why not?" asked Bella. "You don't know me and I don't like you."

"Because you are my friend," I said. "And you do like me or you wouldn't be here with me right now."

"Suppose so," She shivered.

"Still cold?" I asked.

"Freezing," she muttered.

I slid off the bed and pulled off her boots. I laid her back on the bed and covered her with the blanket. Her skin was like ice. I climbed up on the bed and laid down next to her. Bella scooted so that she was laying right next to me. I slipped an arm under her shoulders and pulled her a little closer.

"Is that better?" I asked, rubbing her back.

"Yes," she whispered.

Bella slipped one of her arms out of the blanket and gripped my shirt in her hand again. It was almost like she was afraid that I would disappear if she let go. I rolled onto my side and wrapped my other arm around her. Slowly, Bella's breathing slowed and she drifted off to sleep. A few minutes later, I heard the front door of the apartment open.

"Where is she?" asked Carlisle.

"She's in Edward's room," said Esme. A moment later, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper stepped into the doorway of my room.

"She's asleep," I whispered. "I don't know what the deal is with you guys but right now, she wants to be here."

"You don't know shit about her," whispered Carlisle. Jasper looked from me to Bella and back to me.

"Car, let her stay," whispered Jasper. Carlisle snapped his head to Jasper. "Look at her. When was the last time she looked that peaceful when she slept."

"He's right," whispered Emmett. "Besides, it's not like we don't know where she is."

"Fine," muttered Carlisle.

"Look, you guys are welcome to stay here for the night," said Esme. "The couch fold out and I have a guest room. Let her sleep and then we can talk this through together in the morning, ok?"

"Ok, Esme," whispered Carlisle, immediately relaxing as Esme placed her hand on his arm. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," whispered Esme. "Now, let's let them sleep."

"Ok, but the door stays open," whispered Carlisle, looking back at me. "I don't trust you, kid."

"Well, I don't much trust you right now, either," I whispered.

"Edward…don't leave me…" whimpered Bella, clutching onto me. "Please…"

"I'm not leaving you," I whispered.

Esme pulled Carlisle out of my doorway. Jasper and Emmett just looked at each other as they followed them. I pulled Bella closer to me. She sighed and snuggled closer to me. All I really knew in this moment was that Bella was the first real friend I had ever had and I would do everything I could to make her ok. I just hoped it would be enough because something told me that my life would never be that same again.


	8. Chapter 8

8

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO," screamed Bella as she scrambled out of my bed.

I sat up and looked at her. She was crouched down on the floor in the corner of my room like she didn't know where she was or how she got here. Her eyes were wide as they darted around the room frantically. She looked at me and narrowed her eyes as Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett, and Esme came running in.

"Hey, it's ok, Bell," whispered Carlisle, slowly going over to her. He knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hands in his. Bella was looking around the room again like she was looking for something, or maybe someone. "Look at me. You're ok."

"They aren't here?" asked Bella, barely speaking above a whisper.

"No, they aren't here," whispered Carlisle. Bella nodded her head and let him pull her to her feet.

"I need to go run," muttered Bella. Her hands were shaking slightly.

"Bella, we need to talk about what happened yesterday," said Carlisle.

"I need to go run," said Bella, forcefully. "I'll come right back, I promise."

"Bell…" trialed off Carlisle.

"Car, let her go," said Jasper. He looked over at me. "You have to go with her, though."

"Ok," I said.

"I don't need a babysitter," snapped Bella.

"Seeing as though you ran off like a…"trailed off Jasper. "Apparently, you do. Either he goes with you or you don't run today."

"Fine," muttered Bella, looking over at me. "Don't slow me down."

"I won't," I said.

"Come on, Bella," said Esme. "I'm sure I have some clothes you can run in."

Bella just nodded as she followed Esme out of the room. Carlisle glared at me before he turned and stormed out of the room. Jasper and Emmett both rolled their eyes as they walked out of my room. I wasn't sure what had just happened, or who Bella was looking for, but all I would do is just go with it for now. I quickly changed into a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and my tennis shoes.

I walked out into the living room and found Bella bouncing in her toes. She was wearing a pair of Esme's sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt that was a little bit too big for her. It looked like she was also wearing a pair of Esme's tennis shoes. Bella looked over at me for a moment before she turned and headed to the door.

I followed her outside and down the stairs. Bella didn't even look back at me before she took off running. I sighed inwardly and ran after her. I watched her from the corner of my eye as we ran. She almost seemed to be muttering something to herself but I wasn't sure what she was saying. She would clench and unclench her fists over and over like she was trying to stay loose, or preparing to fight. We ran a couple miles through town before Bella stopped and looked back at me. She seemed to be struggling with what to say.

"What did I say last night after we got to the gym?" asked Bella.

"What?" I asked.

"What did I tell you?" she asked. She almost had a look of panic on her face.

"Nothing really," I said. "You took me to some cliffs and asked me if I had ever thought about jumping."

"Oh," she whispered, biting her lip. "Anything else?"

"You kind of admitted that you've thought about…killing yourself," I said, quietly. Bella closed her eyes and turned away. "Did you mean it?"

"Yes," whispered Bella. She turned back to me. There was so much pain in her eyes. "But you can't tell them. Please, don't tell them?"

"Bella, what…why do you want to die?" I asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," said Bella. "Please, just don't tell them. They will…"

"They will what?" I asked. "Send you away?"

"What…how…" she stammered.

"You told me last night when we got to my place that they wanted to send you away. Send you where?" I asked.

"I can't…" she trailed off. "Look, I don't…Just drop it, ok?"

"You know you can trust me," I said.

"I don't know that," said Bella, sitting down on the curb. I went over and sat down next to her. "Everything is so fucked up right now."

"So I gathered," I sighed. "Carlisle doesn't like me."

"Carlisle doesn't like anyone," said Bella, looking at me. "Don't take it personally. He's just trying to keep me safe."

"I get that," I said.

"Thank you for what you did for me last night," whispered Bella, looking down at her feet. "I haven't slept that good in a really long time."

"But this morning…" I trialed off.

"I woke up in a strange place next to someone I barely know," said Bella, looking up at me. "I freaked out a little. I do that sometimes."

"I guess I get that," I muttered.

"It's not personal," she said.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"No, I mean it, Edward. It's not personal. I just don't let many people in but…" Bella looked away from me.

"But what?" I asked.

"I don't have friends, Edward," whispered Bella. "I haven't in a long time."

"I don't either," I said. "Except for you."

"Me?" she asked, looking back at me. "But I don't like you."

"Yet, here you are talking to me," I smiled.

"Yeah," she smiled back, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"I'll understand if you don't want to be my friend, Bella," I said, shaking my head. "It's just that when you've moved around as much as I have, you learn pretty quickly not to get attached to anyone. I guess I just though that maybe you and I could be friends."

"I want that, Edward," said Bella. "But you saw what happened with Lauren yesterday. Being friends with the crazy girl isn't going to help your reputation."

"Do I look like I care about my reputation?" I asked. "And you're not crazy."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Bella. "I admitted to having suicidal thoughts."

"Point made, but now that you have me as a friend, you won't need to kill yourself," I smirked.

"Oh, is that it works?" asked Bella with a real smiled. "All I needed is a friend and all my problems just go away."

"No, but at least you won't be alone anymore," I said, standing up. "Now, we had better get back before Carlisle thinks I've dragged you to Tijuana and sold you for drugs or something."

"Oh, Pretty Boy, haven't you heard the latest rumor about me?" laughed Bella. "I'm Forks' resident drug dealer."

"Heard that one," I said, rolling my eyes. "Some people will believe anything."

"Yeah, they will," muttered Bella. She shook her head slightly. "Let's go."

Bella took off running again so I followed her. As we ran back to my apartment, I caught her looking back at me several times like she wasn't sure I was really here or something. We ran up the backstairs and into mine and Esme's apartment. Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and Esme were all sitting in an awkward silence.

"Nice run?" asked Emmett.

"Yeah," muttered Bella.

"Both of you sit down," ordered Carlisle. Bella and I pulled a couple of chairs from the kitchen table over and sat down. "We have to talk about what happened yesterday."

"It's not a big deal," said Bella.

"Bella, another student threw a coke in your face," said Esme, leaning up from her seat on the couch. "That is a huge deal. Now, I need to know what happened before I pull her little ass to my office and chew it out. Is she going to tell me that you provoked her?"

"She might tell you that I called her a whore the other day," mumbled Bella. Emmett snorted as he tried to squash his laugher. Jasper was clearly biting the inside of his cheek while Carlisle just say there looking indifferent.

"Ok, why did you call her a whore?" asked Esme.

"Cause she is one?" asked Bella.

"Bella," warned Carlisle.

"Fine, I kind of ran into her in the hallway pushing her into Edward. She called me a freak, I called her a whore. Then yesterday, she decided to throw a coke in my face. I would have beat her nasty, STD, ass but pretty boy here-"

"My name is Edward, not pretty boy," I smirked looking at her. "But thanks for saying I'm pretty."

"Keep that shit up and we won't be friends, Opie." Bella rolled her eyes and looked back at everyone. Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were staring at her with their mouths wide open while Esme was staring at me with a cocked eyebrow.

"What?" we said at the same time.

"You two are friends?" they all asked.

"Yes," we answered.

"Ok, so Eddie here-"

"EDWARD, not Eddie," I snapped, interrupting Emmett. He rolled his eyes.

"So EDWARD here stopped you from beating that bitches ass," said Emmett.

"Yes," muttered Bella.

"Why would you do that?" asked Carlisle, turning to me. "She threw a coke in her face and you didn't let her beat her ass?"

"I didn't want her to get into trouble," I sighed.

"Hmm," snorted Carlisle, looking back at Bella. "So where were you all day since you didn't go to class?"

"We just hung out down at first beach," shrugged Bella.

"Look, Bella, I know you were upset about Miss Mallory throwing the drink on you but you cannot leave school whenever you feel like it. Now, I will be handling Miss Mallory-"

"Don't," said Bella. "Just let it go. She's not worth it and I will get my revenge on her but all you're going to do is make things worse."

"Bella, it's my job to make the school a safe place for all of you," said Esme.

"It's high school," scoffed Bella.

"So?"

"Esme, do you remember high school?" I asked. "I mean I know it was forever ago," Esme flipped me off, "but it probably hasn't changed much since you were there."

"Look, let's move on," said Carlisle, before Esme could say anything. "Where did you go after you left the gym last night?"

"Back to first beach," lied Bella.

"Try again, we went there," said Jasper.

"It doesn't matter where we went, ok," muttered Bella, uncomfortably. "We were safe. We talked and it got cold so Edward brought me here…it's not a big deal, ok?"

"Bella-"

"Carlisle, please don't?" whispered Bella. I could see the tears building up in her eyes. "Please? I can't go back that place again. Please don't give up on me."

"Bella, you have to deal with…" trailed off Carlisle, looking from her to me and back to her. "We'll talk about it later, ok?"

"Ok," whispered Bella.

"I expect both of you to be ready to work your asses off this afternoon after missing your training yesterday," said Carlisle, standing up. "If this happens again, I beat both your asses. Am I clear?"

"Yes," we both muttered.

"Ok," said Carlisle. "Bella, you don't have time to run back to the gym to change for school so I guess you will have to wear what you wore yesterday."

"She can borrow something of mine," smiled Esme. Bella looked at me with a look of pure horror on her face.

"She can borrow one of my shirts," I said quickly. Esme rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I get it. My clothes aren't hip enough," she grumbled. "Hurry up and get ready for school."

Bella and I quickly stood up and went into my room. I pulled out my Who t-shirt and tossed it to her. She smiled and nodded before she turned and went out to Esme's room to get dressed. I guess that means she is a fan of The Who. I went into the bathroom and quickly cleaned up before I pulled on my jeans and a black graphic tee with a flaming guitar on it. I pulled on my chunks and went back out to the living room. Bella was wearing her jeans from yesterday and her long sleeve shirt but she had my shirt over it.

"You want to ride with me?" she asked.

"Sure," I said.

"I don't think so," smirked Carlisle. Bella and I both looked over at him. "You are grounded from your bike for the next few days. You can ride with Esme and Edward to school."

"Fucking kill me now," groaned Bella.


	9. Chapter 9

9

Bella and I groaned as we climbed into the backseat of Esme's car, ducking down as low as we could. Having your sister, who also happens to be the principal at your school, drive you to school is embarrassing enough but having your sister do it because you are in trouble is even worse.

"Meet me here after school and I will take you both to the gym," instructed Esme as she parked the car.

"Whatever," we both muttered.

Bella and I climbed out of the car and headed into school, leaving Esme laughing at us. My sister could be truly evil sometimes. She acted all sweet and innocent but I knew the real Esme Masen. A few people stopped and stared at us as we made our way down to our lockers. I wasn't sure if it was because of what happened at lunch yesterday or the fact that we were walking down the hall together. Perhaps, it was a little of both.

I had just pulled my books for my morning classes out of my locker when Garrett, Kate, Angela, and Ben stopped in front of us. They seemed highly amused by both Bella and I, which I really didn't get why we were so fascinating to them.

"Well, look who it is," snickered Angela. "Bonnie and Clyde, returning to the scene of the crime."

"Angela, shut the fuck up," muttered Bella.

"Aw, come on, Bella," laughed Kate. "We heard that the two of you were robbing gas stations all over town to pay for your abortion."

"Hmm, did you hear that, Pretty boy, you already knocked me up," smirked Bella, rolling her eyes.

"You would think I would remember the sex but I guess it wasn't that memorable," I mused.

"Apparently," snickered Bella as the warning bell rang. "Well, I guess I'm off to pretend to learn something."

"Have fun, Honey," I smiled.

Bella just rolled her eyes and flipped me off. I laughed as I headed down to my first period class, leaving Garrett, Kate, Ben, and Angela watching us. Slowly, I made my way down the hall to my English class, dreading having to sit next to Jessica for the next hour. Maybe I would get lucky and she would hate me. Or maybe not since as soon as I walked in her face broke up in her creepiest smile yet.

"Hey, Edward," she squealed as I took my seat.

"Jessica," I merely said.

"So how was your afternoon with Bella?" she asked, eagerly. That's when it hit me. She was being nice to me to get information from me.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked. "Planning on spreading anymore rumors about me or her?"

"No," she gasped, pretending to be hurt. "As your friend, Edward, I'm just curious about the way you spend your time."

"My friend, huh?" I mused.

"Yes," she smiled, placing her hand on my arm. "I can be a very good friend to you, Edward."

"You know what, Jessica?" I asked, pushing her hand off of me. "I don't really think I need a friend like you."

"You would rather be friends with Bella," hissed Jessica, turning to the dark side in a matter of a second. "Well, you should know that she's certifiably crazy. Not only did she murder her parents, Edward, but she spent a year in the loony bin."

Mrs. Owens came in and started her class so Jessica turned back in her seat with a triumphant smirk on her face. I tried to focus on the lesson. Ok, so I tried to pretend to focus on the lesson but all I could think about was Jessica's words. Had Bella spent time in a mental hospital? Her brothers had threatened to send her back somewhere. Was that where they were wanting to send her?

"Think about what I said, Edward," said Jessica, after the bell rang. "I would hate for you to get hurt trying to be the rebel."

Jessica turned and walked out of the room. I stood up and gathered my stuff and headed off to my next class. I walked in and took my seat next to Ben.

"So," he said, looking over at me.

"What?" I asked.

"You and Bella together or something?" he asked.

"Careful there, Ben, you almost sound like one of those stepford bitches-"

"Language, Mr. Mason," sighed Mr. Taylor. "How hard is it to not curse?"

"-with all your questions," I continued, ignoring Mr. Taylor.

"Ouch," flinched Ben. "That hurts, Eddie."

"Edward," I reminded him. "And Bella and I are friends."

"Bella doesn't have friends," stated Ben.

"Well, now she does," I said. "You guys seemed to be her friends this morning."

"We are friendly with her but Bella reminds us frequently that we aren't friends," shrugged Ben.

"Yeah, she's tried that with me too," I sighed.

Mr. Taylor decided that would be a good time to start his lesson. As usual I was bored to tears in this class. We were about half way through our discussion on the benefits of the Vietnam War when we heard someone scream very loudly from out in the hall. So naturally, we all bolted out into the hallway where we found Lauren standing in the middle of the hall with her locker wide open and covered in what looked like tomato sauce.

"What happened here?" asked Esme, coming down the hallway. I saw Bella standing on the other end of the hallway. She had her iPod on and looked bored but somehow, I knew this was her doing.

"I just opened my locker when I was sprayed with tomato sauce," cried Lauren.

It was dripping all over the floor and down her white pants and white shirt. Esme looked around at everyone, her eyes landing on me for a split second. I shook my head to make it clear I had nothing to do with this.

"Who did this?" asked Esme. Nobody said anything, even though I could hear a few people laughing. "Let me make myself clear, I will not put up with this type of behavior in my school. Am I clear?"

"Yes," muttered most of the students.

"Get back to class," ordered Esme. We all turned to go back into our classrooms. "Not you, Edward."

I sighed as I turned back to her. She sent Lauren down to the locker room to get cleaned up. Esme waited until everyone had headed into their classrooms before she turned on me. The look on her face would have been scary if I didn't know her better. She thought this was funny, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"I'm only going to ask you this once, Edward," said Esme. "Did you have any part of this?"

"No," I said, honestly.

"Do you know who did do it?" she asked. I nearly rolled my eyes at her.

"No," I said again. "I don't know who did it but it was damn funny. Don't even pretend that you aren't laughing your ass off inside, Esme, because I know you are."

"Ok, I'll admit that it was pretty funny but I can't have you and Bella starting a war with Lauren and her little gang of do gooders," whispered Esme, smiling.

"I'm not," I whispered back. "But I won't stop Bella for getting her revenge on that bitch either, Esme."

"I know, Edward," whispered Esme. "Just be careful with Bella, ok? That girl is on the edge and I don't want you getting hurt."

"Don't worry about me," I snapped. "I can handle myself."

I turned and threw open the door to my classroom. I slammed it behind me before I went over and took my seat next to Ben. He looked over at me but didn't say anything. I understood that Esme was worried about me. I'm her little brother and now she has to be responsible for me but Bella is the only friend I've ever had. I'm getting really tired of people telling me to leave her alone.

"You ok, man?" asked Ben when the bell rang. I stood up and threw my books in my bag.

"Fucking great," I muttered,

"Language, Mr. Masen!" yelled Mr. Taylor as I stormed out of the room.

I rolled my eyes and made my way down to my trig class. I took my seat in the back and ignored everyone as they came in. I wasn't in the mood to hear about how dangerous Bella was, how I needed to be careful around her, how she was going to end up going crazy and hurting me. I'll be the first to admit that there is something going on with Bella, but right now, she needs a friend and so do I. Besides, none of these people know what it feels like to be lonely all the time.

By the time the bell rang for lunch, I was tired of thinking. I threw my stuff in my locker before I headed down the hallway toward the cafeteria. I was about halfway there when Mike, Tyler, and Eric stepped in my way. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with these asses.

"Masen, fucking stay away from Lauren and Jessica," snapped Mike.

"Maybe you should be telling them to stay away from me," I snorted. "They are the ones rubbing on me all the time."

"Just because they feel sorry for you, doesn't mean that they want your scrawny ass," sneered Mike.

"Don't be jealous, Newton," I snapped. "Besides, I'm not really into skanky whores."

"Yet, you are friends with Bella," smirked Mike. "We all know that little bitch spreads her legs for anyone."

"Except for you obviously," I snapped "Let me guess, you asked her to go steady and she said she doesn't go with momma's boys. It's ok, Mike, one day you will grow a dick. In the mean time, you can keep sucking on your boys here."

"You son of a bitch," snapped Mike, swinging at me.

His fist connected the left side of my face. I stumbled back as I brought my right fist up and caught him in the gut. He fell back as I countered with my left to the side of his head. Suddenly, Tyler and Eric had my arms behind my back. Mike threw his fist into my gut before bringing his other fist to the left side of my face. I stomped on Tyler's foot and head butted Eric, causing them both to let go of my arms. I threw my fist into Mike's face again. Tyler tried to grab me again but I turned and punched him several times.

"BREAK IT UP," screamed Esme, running down the hall as Mike kicked me in the back sending me into the wall. "I said break it up."

"I'll fucking kill you, Newton," I growled, lunging for him. I felt someone pulling me back but didn't look at who it was. "Do you hear me?"

"Edward, stop," snapped Bella. That was when I realized who was pulling me back. "He's not fucking worth it."

"I would like to know what happened here," snapped Esme, looking around at us all.

"It doesn't matter," I muttered. "Same shit at every school."

I shrugged Bella's arms off of me and headed outside to the quad. I found a bench under some trees and sat down. I felt someone sit down next to me but I didn't look over. I knew it was Bella. Esme would be too busy trying to keep her school together and all I was doing was making it harder for her.

"You want to talk out it?" asked Bella, after a moment.

"Not really," I muttered. She reached over and pulled my hand to her. "It's fine."

"No, it's not. It's going to bruise and hurt like a son of a bitch," sighed Bella. "Although, they look worse. I think you broke Newton's nose."

"Good," I muttered. "He deserves worse."

"What did he say?" asked Bella. I turned and looked up at her.

"It doesn't matter," I said. "It's just been a long day already."

"Getting shit already for being my friend, huh?" she asked. "Suppose I'm not surprised."

"I can handle it," I said. Bella sighed and let go of my hand. "Bella, I can handle it. I won't let…rumors or jealous pathetic girls stop me from being friends with you."

"You shouldn't be friends with me, Edward," muttered Bella.

"Why not?" I asked. Bella frowned and looked away from me.

"Because I'm not a good person," she said. "I'm fucked up and a little crazy, remember?"

"So crazy that you spent time in a mental hospital?" I asked. Bella looked over at me with wide eyes.

"I see they wasted no time in telling you about me," she whispered.

"So it's true?" I asked.

"Yeah," muttered Bella.

"Bella, what happened with your parents?" I asked. Bella just looked at me for several minutes before she said anything.

"I killed them."


	10. Chapter 10

10

"I killed them," whispered Bella.

"There you are, Edward," sighed Esme, coming out of the school. Bella took a deep breath and looked away.

"I'll see you in class," whispered Bella.

"Bella, wait," I called as she stood up and took off into the school.

"Edward, what the hell happened in there?" asked Esme, sitting down next to me.

"I didn't start it, Esme," I said. "Newton threw the first punch. Then his dickless friends tried to gain up on me. I was just defending myself."

"So I heard," said Esme. "But I would like to know what they said to provoke you to fight back."

"It doesn't matter," I sighed as the bell rang. "I had better get to class."

"Edward-"

"Just don't worry about me, Esme. I'm fine," I said, standing up.

I left her sitting on the bench and headed into the school. Bella was standing by her locker. She looked up at me as I came in. She stood there for a moment before she turned and headed down the hall. I shook my head softly as I went over to my locker and pulled out my books.

"Hey, Man, you ok?" asked Ben as he and Garrett came up behind me. "That was a pretty nasty fight."

"I'm fine," I muttered, slamming my locker shut.

I turned and headed down to my classroom, leaving them standing there. I walked down to my classroom and went inside. Bella was sitting on her stool with her iPod on, scribbling on her notebook. I went over and sat down next to her and just looked at her but she didn't look up at me.

I pulled out a piece of paper from my notebook as Mr. Banner came in and started his lecture about flatworms.

**Talk to me. **I slid the paper over to Bella. She looked at it and sighed softly before she wrote me back.

_Can't, middle of class. We'll get in trouble._

**I don't give a shit. You can't say what you said and not explain.**

_This isn't the time or place._

**Bella, do you trust me? **Bella looked up at me after she read my words. She slowly nodded her head. I pulled the paper over to me and wrote, **Then trust me enough to tell me what happened. No matter what you tell me, I will still be your friend.**

_You can't promise me that, Edward. _

**Yes, I can.**

Bella just shook her head and went back to her notebook. I crumpled up the paper and dropped it into my backpack. The rest of class seemed to just drag on. Bella never looked back up from her notebook. What did she mean that she killed her parents? I couldn't believe that Bella, the girl who clung onto me last night, was capable of killing anyone. Finally, after what felt like forever, the bell rang.

"We need to talk," I said as Bella stood up.

"We can't talk here and we can't skip class again," sighed Bella, gathering up her stuff. She looked up at me. "I…"

"After school then," I said, throwing my books in my backpack.

"Can't, we have training," muttered Bella

"Bella, you have to explain what you said to me," I hissed, grabbing her arm.

"Please let me go, Edward?" she whispered. I let go of her arm. "I'll explain but not here, ok?"

"Ok, after our workout then," I said.

"Maybe," she muttered.

Bella pushed past me and headed out of the classroom. I sighed as I followed her out. We made our way down to the gym and into the separate dressing rooms. I quickly changed and headed out to the gym. Coach Clapp came out and broke us up into teams for volleyball. Gym went by nearly as slow as my morning classes did.

Finally, Coach Clapp dismissed us and we headed back to the dressing rooms. I quickly changed back into my school clothes and headed down to my locker. I threw my books inside and practically ran out to Esme's car, where Bella was waiting for us. She was tapping her foot nervously on the ground. She looked up at me and I swear, I saw fear run across her face. Was she really that afraid that I would run from her?

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," she muttered. "So gym was…fun."

"Oh, yeah," I snorted. "Nothing like forced team work, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much sucks," sighed Bella. "That's why I like boxing, only have to rely on yourself."

"Me too," I muttered.

"You two ready?" asked Esme, coming up to us.

Bella and I simply nodded our heads before we climbed into the backseat of her car. She climbed into the front seat and took off. Bella just stared out the window the entire time. Esme pulled the car up in front of the gym and shut off the engine.

"Are you staying?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, avoiding my eyes. "I want to make sure you don't take off or something."

"Yeah, right," I mumbled. I knew the real reason, even if she wasn't willing to admit it to herself. She had a crush on Carlisle. "Let's go then."

The three of us climbed out of the car and headed inside. Bella and I each went into our separate dressing rooms to change. I quickly changed and headed out to the front, where Carlisle was talking Esme. Jasper and Emmett were sparing in the ring. Carlisle looked over at me and narrowed his eyes.

"What the fuck happened to you?" he asked, coming over to me and grabbing my face. I winced as he hit a sore spot on my jaw.

"He got into a fight at school," explained Esme. I rolled my eyes at her.

"What about?" asked Carlisle.

"It doesn't matter," I said as Bella came out of the girl's locker room.

"I think it does matter," snapped Carlisle. "Fighting outside of the ring is really stupid."

"He was defending me," said Bella. Emmett and Jasper stopped fight as they, Carlisle, and Esme looked over at her. I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Newton, Crowley, and Yorke were badmouthing me and our friendship and Edward defended me after Newton threw the first punch."

"Is that true?" asked Carlisle, looking back at me.

"Yes," I muttered.

"Well, I guess that's different," mumbled Carlisle. "Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"I'm fine," I said.

"That's, um, good," muttered Carlisle. He cleared his throat as he looked around. "Well, let's get started on the speed bags."

"Ok," I muttered.

I followed Carlisle and Bella over to the speed bags. Carlisle had Bella and I work on the speed bags for about half an hour before we moved on to the punching bags. As much as I hated to admit it, because I wasn't sure I like him or not, Carlisle really did know what he was talking about. He showed me how to improve my technique and form.

After we worked on the punching bags, I watched as Bella and Jasper sparred together. Watching Bella in the ring was like watching a lioness take down her prey. She was completely focused on her goal. She was quick but smart. She didn't waist time throwing needless jabs or punches.

"You see how she conserves her energy?" asked Carlisle.

"Yes," I said.

"By keeping her arms in tighter and waiting for the right moment, she makes them do all the work. They get tired and then she can clean up at the end. That's what you need to learn," said Carlisle.

"She's quick," I observed.

"That she is," sighed Carlisle. "Don't hurt her."

"Excuse me?" I asked, looking over at him. He sighed and sat down next to me.

"Look, Bella's had it rough over the last couple years," explained Carlisle. "She's a bit of a bitch and doesn't let anyone close to her, except for you. I don't know why she feel so comfortable around you but she does. She needs a friend like you and if you hurt her, I'll have to kill you. I really don't want to go to prison. Orange isn't my color."

"Um, I won't hurt her," I said. "I need a friend like her, too."

"I suppose you do," sighed Carlisle. "Anyway, go change. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok," I muttered.

I made my way over to the dressing room and quickly changed. I had just pulled my shirt on when the door to the dressing rooms opened. I looked over to see Bella standing there. She pushed the door shut and flipped the lock.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked.

**BPOV**

I stood there in the front of the door watching Edward watch me. I wasn't sure how to start this conversation. I've never told anyone but my brothers what happened with my parents and I wasn't sure how Edward would take it.

"I…" I trailed off, biting my bottom lip. "I need to explain about my parents."

"Ok," said Edward, stepping closer to me.

"Don't," I said, putting my hand up to stop him.

"Ok," he said, stepping back from me. I slid down against the door. Edward slinked down to the floor and looked at me. I pulled my knees up to my chest. "What did you mean when you said you killed them?"

"I mean it was my fault they died," I said, through my tears. "My parents owned one of the best training gyms in Arizona. People came from all over the state to have my father train them to fight. About three years ago, a man by the name of Aro Volturi came into our gym one afternoon while I was sparring with my father. He and my father went into his office to speak. I moved over to the speed bags and started working but a few minutes later, I heard my father start to yell. He stormed out of his office yelling that Aro could go to hell and that he wouldn't be working for him no matter how much money they offered him. Aro just smiled and looked back at me before he left. All my father would tell me or my mother was that we were to stay away from that man. We both agreed and it was forgotten. Over the next few months, my parents started acting very strange. They were super protective of me, more than normal, and every time the phone rang they would jump. Then one night about two years ago, we were sitting around the dinner table when the phone rang again. My mother answered it and screamed. She said 'They're coming.' A few minutes later, someone started beating on the front door. My father looked back at me and told me to go hide in the crawl space in my closest. He always called it my special place. I didn't want to leave them, Edward, because I knew something bad was going to happen but he made me. So ran up the stairs and hid while two men broke into my house and killed my parents."

"Bella, that's not your fault," whispered Edward.

"Yes, it is," I cried. "I hid instead of helping them, Edward. I heard them raping my mother, while she screamed for them to stop. I just sat there and listened to them killing my father."

"You were a kid, Bella," whispered Edward. I hadn't realized that he had slowly made his way over to me. He lifted me up and set me in his lap. I laid my head on his chest. "They were trying to protect you."

"It took the police two days to find us," I whispered. "By the time, they found me in my crawl space, I was practically catatonic. One of the police men reached out and grabbed my arm and I lost it, Edward. I started screaming at him to leave me alone. I started hitting him and kicking him. It took four officers to restrain me. They strapped me down to a stretcher and took me to the hospital. When the nurse tried to touch me, I flipped out again. They strapped me down to the bed. They sent someone from psych down to talk to me but I couldn't… I didn't know what to say."

"Where were your brothers?" asked Edward.

"They were at school in Seattle," I whispered. "I'm not really sure when they showed up, I was so out of it. All I really remember was them climbing into my bed with me and holding me while we cried together. The next day, the shrink from the hospital went to the judge and told him that I was mentally instable and that I need to be placed under his care. My brothers tried to fight him but after I went crazy on that cop, the judge issued the order forcing me to spend thirty days at Arizona State Hospital. I didn't even get to go to my parent's funerals. After a month there, where they thought it would be better if I was just drugged up all the time, they let me out. So once the judge finally ordered my release, I moved to Seattle with my brothers. They decided to move us here a few months later and they opened the gym."

"Did they ever catch the men who killed them?" asked Edward.

"No," I whispered. "The police called it a random act of violence. However, I know better. I think Aro Volturi killed my parents after my father refused to work for him. When they were…the men made comments about making better choices in their next life."

"Bella, none of that was your fault," he whispered.

"I should have tried to help them," I whispered, clutching on to his t-shirt.

"Why's the fucking door locked?" grumbled Jasper, pushing on the door. I rolled my eyes and climbed off of Edward's lap. "Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is the door locked?" demanded Jasper. I rolled my eyes and stood up. Edward stood up and I unlocked the door. It fell open when Jasper pushed in it again. He looked up at me then at Edward and growled. "What the fuck is going on here?"

"We were just talking," I snapped.

"Why was the door locked then?" growled Jasper as Carlisle, Emmett, and Esme came up behind him.

"WE WERE JUST TALKING," I screamed at them.

I pushed through them and ran up to our apartment. I went into my room and shut the door behind me. I went into my bathroom and took a hot shower. I shut off the water and dried off. I went back into my room and pulled on my pajamas. I had just laid down on my bed when the door to my room opened. I didn't need to look back to know it was my brothers. I felt the bed dip down as they sat down.

"We were just talking," I said.

"We believe you," said Carlisle.

"Are you sending me back to that place?" I asked.

"We don't want to, Bella, but you aren't dealing with what happened with Mom and Dad, either," sighed Emmett.

"I'm trying," I said.

"How are you trying?" asked Jasper. "All you do is run or train. Then you take off last night and end up in the bed of some kid you don't even know."

"Edward's my friend," I said.

"That's great, Bella," said Carlisle. "But you just met him."

"I know," I muttered. "But he…"

"He what?" asked Emmett. I shook my head softly. "Come one, Belly Bear, talk to us."

"He doesn't care that I'm crazy," I said softly. "He defended me when those asses called me a whore. He stood up for me when Lauren threw that coke in my face. He makes me feel…better."

"Ok, but you can't go off like you did last night," said Carlisle. "Cause you really scared the shit of us. We don't want to lose you too, Bella."

"I'm sorry," I cried softly. "I just can't go back there."

"We know," whispered Carlisle, laying down next to me. "I'm sorry I threatened you like that."

"I miss them," I cried.

"Me too," whispered Carlisle.

"I do too," whispered Jasper.

"Me too," sighed Emmett, laying down next to me and Carlisle. "Dad would have hated it here."

"He would have said it rained too much," said Jasper.

"Mom would have loved it, tough," said Carlisle.

They continued to talk quietly as I cried myself to sleep in my brothers' arms. I dreamed of Edward all night.


	11. Chapter 11

11

EPOV

I woke up the next morning before the sun was even up behind the clouds. I should say that I decided to stop trying to sleep then because I didn't get any sleep last night. I replayed Bella's words through my head all night. The look on her face was on the front of my mind all night. How could she think she was responsible for killing her parents? All that would have happened if she had tried to help is that they probably would have raped and killed her too.

I shook my head as I climbed off my bed and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. I pulled on my running shoes and grabbed my iPod. I quietly made my way out of the apartment after leaving a note for Esme telling her where I went. I doubt she would be very happy about waking up with me gone.

I made my way down stairs and set my iPod to my favorite play list before I started running. Bella was not at all like she seemed on the outside. True, she is tough as nails and can be quite a bitch sometimes, but deep down, where she doesn't let anyone in, she's just a girl who is hurting. A girl, who has worked hard to put up a wall of defense to keep those closest to her from getting hurt. Yet, for some reason, she let me in.

"Are you stalking me?" asked Bella, pulling my ear bud from my ear. I looked over and smiled as she fell into step with me.

"Nope," I smiled. "Just out enjoying the dreary cold."

"Yeah, it's lovely, isn't it?" snorted Bella. "I hate it here. I miss the heat."

"I miss the dry weather," I laughed as we slowed down to a walk. "You're out kind of early."

"My brothers were pissing me off," shrugged Bella.

"They care about you," I pointed out. "Carlisle actually told me not to hurt you yesterday."

"Why am I not surprised," muttered Bella. "Esme give you shit last night?"

"No, but I kind of avoided her," I admitted.

"Aw, avoidance, the game the whole family can play," laughed Bella. She bit her lip and looked away from me. "About what I told you last night…"

"I'm not telling anyone until you tell me it's ok, including Esme," I said. Bella sighed and looked back at me.

"Thank you, Edward. I'm just not comfortable with people knowing about that night," whispered Bella.

"Not a problem, Bella. That's what friends do, right?" I asked.

"Right," smiled Bella.

Bella and I turned back and headed back the other way. She waved as she left me at mine and Esme's apartment building. I headed up and found Esme sitting at the kitchen table, tapping her nails on the table again. This couldn't be good. She looked up at me and sighed.

"Sit," she ordered. I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes at her as I went over and sat down across from her. "I don't think you and Bella should be friends."

"Too fucking bad," I said, folding my arms in front of my chest.

"Edward, there is something off about that girl," hissed Esme. "I don't know what it is but she's trouble. In the week since school started, you've cut school and gotten into a fight. That's not like you."

"So fucking what, Esme," I snapped. "Bella is not to blame for any of that. She's my friend, the only friend I've ever had. Why can't you understand that?"

"I do, Edward. Of all people, I understand about keeping people at arms length so you don't get hurt but what if she physically hurts you?"

"She won't," I insisted.

"She might," snapped Esme. "I've heard the rumors, ok?"

"What rumors?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't play dumb with me, Eddie," sneered Esme. "I can read you better than that."

"She didn't kill them," I said. "I can't tell you any more than that because Bella asked me not to but she didn't kill her parents."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Esme.

"Yes," I replied. "Look, Esme, I'll admit that Bella is a bitch. I'll admit that she's mean, rude, and hateful sometimes but besides the fact that she's probably one of the best boxers I've ever seen, she let me in. She needs me as a friend just as much as I need her. Please, don't make me choose between my sister and the only friend I have ever had."

"That's not fair," sighed Esme.

"Who said any of this was fair?" I asked.

"Fine, Edward, I won't stand in the way of your friendship with Bella, but I will be watching her very closely."

"Fair enough," I said. "Is there anything else or can I go get ready for school?"

"That's all I have but you might need to check your email. I'm sure Mom and Dad sent you something," smirked Esme.

"You fucking told them about the fight, didn't you?" I grumbled, standing up.

"Yep," said Esme, popping the 'p'. I rolled my eyes and headed into my room. "Real mature, Eddie."

"Fuck off, Essie," I yelled.

I went over to my desk and opened my laptop. I logged onto my email and sure enough there was an email from my father. Never a good sign.

To: Edward Masen Jr.  
Subject: Fighting?  
From: Edward Masen Sr.

Edward,

You know what I am going to say but I'm going to say it anyway. Fighting at school is incredibly stupid and dangerous. I didn't teach you how to box so you would go to school and get into fights. Now, Esme has explained that you were defending yourself but it's still not like you to fight back. You could have really hurt those boys. Was it a mistake to let you move in with Esme?

Your mother and I are very concerned about this incident and if we hear of another one, your ass will be coming to Italy. Understood? On a side note, did you at least beat the crap out of them?

I miss you, Son.

Dad

To: Edward Masen Sr.  
Subject: re: fighting?  
From: Edward Masen Jr.

Dad,

No, it was not a mistake for me to move in with Esme. I'm not sorry for defending myself or my friend. Yes, I said I have a friend. Those boys were making rude comments about her and I couldn't stand there and let them badmouth her. When he threw a sucker punch at me, I had no choice but to defend myself. What would you have done if you heard someone call Mom or Esme a whore? That's what I thought.

I am fine. Esme is just overreacting, as usual. Yes, I totally beat the crap out of all three of them. I miss you too, Dad, a lot. I don't think I've told you or Mom this enough but I love you. Be careful, ok?

Edward.

P.S. Tell Mom that Esme has a new friend, too. HIS name is Carlisle.

I smirked to myself as I sent the email to my father. My mother would be so thrilled to hear about Esme's new friend. That should teach her to narc on me. I closed my laptop and headed into the backroom. I quickly showered and got ready for school. I grabbed my backpack and headed out to the living room where Esme was waiting for me.

She ignored me as we headed down to the car. We climbed in and headed off to school. I climbed out of the car without saying a word to her. Two could play at that game. I saw Bella practically jump out of a shiny, black Mercedes like it was on fire. I chuckled inwardly as I fell into step with her.

"Carlisle?" I asked.

"Yes," grumbled Bella, "I think the asshole is getting some kind of sick pleasure from embarrassing me."

"Esme does too," I said.

We headed into school and headed down to the hall to our lockers. Mike, Tyler, and Eric were standing with Jessica and Lauren. Mike had a black eye and a broken nose. Tyler had a couple of bruises on his jaw while Eric had two black eyes from when I head butted him.

"Gee, Newton, that nose looks painful," quipped Bella. "Better not take anymore balls to the face."

"Guess you and Yorke are shit out of luck for your morning blowjob, Crowley," I added. "I'm sure Newton will make it up to you later."

Bella and I just laughed as they slammed their lockers shut and stormed off. I pulled my books out of my locker and headed off to my first class. Jessica came in and sat down next to me but she didn't say anything, which I found refreshing. Class flew by quickly. As soon as the bell rang, Jessica was out of her seat and out the door. I made my way down the hall to my history class and took my seat next to Ben.

"Hey, how's the jaw?" asked Ben.

"Hurt like a son of a bitch," I chuckled.

"Mr. Masen, am I going to have to keep reminding you that language like that isn't acceptable in my classroom?" asked Mr. Taylor.

"No, sir," I said.

"I certainly hope not," sighed Mr. Taylor.

"So, anyway, the jaw fucking hurts, huh?" asked Ben, ignoring the glare from Mr. Taylor.

"Yep," I said.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Ben.

"My dad," I said.

"Ok, since Mr. Masen and Mr. Cheney seem to enjoy polluting the air with their vulgar language, why don't we start the day off with a pop quiz?" asked Mr. Taylor, smirking at me and Ben. Everyone groaned and muttered under their breath. "Don't blame me, kids. Blame the potty mouth twins back there."

Everyone turned and glared at me and Ben, who was suppressing his laughter. I had to bit the inside of my cheek not to bust out laughing. Just what I needed more enemies here at this school. The entire hour was filled with death stares and unspoken warnings from everyone, but Ben. He seemed to be enjoying the aggression being slung at us. I didn't really care either. When the bell finally rang, Ben stood up and let out a hearty laugh.

"That was certainly one of the most entertaining classes I've ever had," laughed Ben. "Goddamn, Edward, things have gotten exciting since you got here."

"Mr. Cheney, using language like that makes you sound unintelligent," grumbled Mr. Taylor.

"Well, sir, I don't really care if I sound smart or not," smirked Ben.

"Obviously," muttered Mr. Taylor, dryly.

Ben just laughed as he headed off to his next class. He sure didn't seem to care about pissing teachers off. I liked him more and more. I gathered my stuff and headed down to my next class, ignoring the remarks from my fellow classmates about the pop quiz. It wasn't even hard.

The rest of the morning went by pretty quickly and before I knew it, it was time for lunch. I made my way down the hall and saw Bella waiting for me by my locker. She looked up and smiled at me, a big beautiful smile.

"I hear you and Ben are the asses responsible for our pop quiz in history," said Bella.

"Guilty," I sighed, shaking my head as I threw my books in my locker. "Mr. Taylor doesn't seem to like mine and Ben's vocabulary."

"Oh, I see," smiled Bella. "He told me when I said that Hitler was nothing more than a and I quote 'A motherfucking baby with a stick up his ass', that I was ignorant and unimaginative."

"Hmm," I said as Bella and I headed down to the cafeteria. "He called me and Ben unintelligent."

"I could have told him that," scoffed Bella.

I rolled my eyes at her as we headed in. We grabbed some lunch and headed outside to sit with Ben, Angela, Garrett, and Kate. I could tell Bella wasn't one hundred percent comfortable sitting with them but they were nice kids and it would be good for us to have other people to talk to.

"What's up, Eddie," said Garrett, nodding his head at me.

"Edward, not Eddie, Garry," I snapped.

"Point Edward," smirked Kate, looking from me to Bella. "What are you guys doing tonight?"

"I don't know," muttered Bella, shrugging her shoulders.

"Big party down at First Beach," smiled Kate. "You two should come."

"Maybe," I said.

"Yeah, maybe," agreed Bella.

Ben, Angela, Garrett, and Kate spent the rest of lunch trying to convince me and Bella that we should go to that party. No matter how many times we told them we would think about it, they wouldn't drop it. Bella gave me several looks that clearly said that is why she doesn't have friends. Which I replied back with a look that said I know, I'm sorry.

Finally the bell rang ending lunch. Bella and I quickly escaped the constant nagging from others and headed down to Biology. The rest of the day went quickly and relatively smoothly. Everyone seemed to be content on ignoring both me and Bella, which made us both very happy.

As soon as the final bell rang, Bella and I headed out to meet Esme at the car. She came out a few minutes later and climbed into the car, completely ignoring us both. Bella shot me a look but I just shook my head. This was my problem with Esme and not hers, no matter what Esme thought.

A few minutes later, Esme pulled the car up in front of the gym and the three of us got out. We went inside and found Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper talking to a tall man with dark curly hair and brown eyes. Bella stopped in her tracks and gasped. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Bella," he simply said.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" asked Bella, stepping closer to me.


	12. Chapter 12

12

"What the fuck are you doing here?" asked Bella, stepping closer to me.

"We came to check up on you," said the man as a blond woman came out of the dressing rooms.

"It is absolutely filthy in there," she griped. She stopped as she looked up at Bella and smiled. "Bella, there you are."

"Renee?" said Bella, stepping away from her as she stepped toward Bella. "When did you and Charlie get back into the country?"

"Yesterday," smiled Renee, looking from Bella to me and Esme. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?"

"I guess," muttered Bella. "Esme and Edward Masen, this is my sister, Renee, and her husband, Charlie."

"It's nice to meet you both," I said, politely. I looked over at Bella. "You have a sister?"

"Yes," She muttered, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's nice to meet you too, Edward," smiled Renee, giving me the once over before she turned back to Bella. "So, we've heard that you've been in some trouble."

"Oh really," gritted Bella, looking over at her brothers, all of whom were looking at the floor.

"Yes, something about skipping school," said Charlie, cocking an eyebrow at her. Bella rolled her eyes.

"They exaggerate," muttered Bella. "I had a small problem with a fellow classmate but I don't think she will be bothering me again."

"What'd you do to her?" asked Emmett, grinning widely at Bella.

"Um," said Bella, looking back at Esme. "I'll tell you later."

"Well, as fun as this little…reunion is, Bella and Edward, go change. We have work to do," said Carlisle. Charlie and Renee looked from me to Carlisle and back.

"You're training him?" asked Renee, incredulously.

"Yes," said Carlisle, glaring at his sister. "He's good."

"Hmm," snorted Renee. "I guess that remains to be seen."

"Come on, Edward," muttered Bella, pulling on my arm.

I followed Bella over to the dressing rooms and quickly changed. I went back out to the gym and followed Carlisle and Bella over to the weights. He wanted us to work on our strength training so we spent the next hour doing repetitions. Esme and Renee spent the entire time talking, which seemed to really irritate not only Bella, but Carlisle too. Emmett, Jasper, and Charlie just sat there the entire time not saying anything more than a few comments about the weather.

Carlisle finally told us to go change out so Bella and I headed to our separate dressing rooms. I quickly changed back into my regular clothes and shoved my workout clothes in my bag before I headed back out to the gym. Bella was standing outside the door to the dressing room, tapping her foot nervously on the ground.

"You ok?" I asked. She sighed and looked up at me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered. "Let's go to the party down at First Beach."

"Aren't you grounded?" I asked.

"Yeah," she snorted. "It's not a problem."

"Ok, sounds good," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Cool, we can take my car," said Bella.

"It's kind of cold for the bike, isn't it?" I asked.

"Yes, that's why I said car not bike," laughed Bella. I cocked my eyebrow at her. "What? We live in the coldest, rainiest place ever. I have to have more than my bike."

"So what kind of car do you have?" I asked.

"You'll see," she smiled. I followed her over to where Esme was waiting for me.

"I'm hanging out with Bella tonight," I told Esme.

"No, you're not," she said.

"Yes, I am," I replied.

"No, you are not," smirked Esme. "You are grounded because of the fight you got into."

"I don't think so," I snapped. "I was defending myself and Bella-"

"From what?" asked Renee.

"-and we both know that Dad wouldn't ground me for that," I smirked, ignoring Renee's interruption.

"Fine," gritted out Esme. "But you have to be home by midnight."

"One," I offered.

"Midnight or I call Mom," smirked Esme, looking from me to Bella.

"Fine," I sighed. "But you might want to check your email, Es. I'm sure Mom sent you a nice long one wanting to know all about your…life here."

"You fucking little shit," muttered Esme, realizing that I ratted her and Carlisle out to our mother.

"Where are you going?" asked Renee, looking at Bella.

"Just going down to First Beach to hang out," shrugged Bella.

"Who all is going to be there?" asked Renee.

"I don't know," mumbled Bella. "Just some…people."

"You can't just go hang out with people that we don't know," said Charlie, wrapping his arm around Renee.

"How could you know anyone here when I haven't seen either of you in a almost two years?" yelled Bella.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the gym. I heard Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper all laughing as Renee yelled for Bella to come back. Obviously, there was some tension there. I followed Bella back behind the gym to a large warehouse, or what I thought was a warehouse, anyway. Bella hit a few buttons on a key code and two large doors slid open. She looked back and smiled as she led me into the building.

My mouth literally fell open. Sitting in front of me were some of the nicest, most bad-assed cars I had ever seen. Besides Carlisle's Mercedes, there was a red tricked out jeep, Bella's bike, a black Camaro, a red Corvette, and a silver Mustang. They were the most beautiful cars I had ever seen.

"You can shut your mouth," laughed Bella. I looked over at her.

"These…" I trailed off.

"I know," she smiled. She went over and placed her hand on the Mustang. "This one is mine. The Mercedes is Carlisle's. The Jeep is Emmett's, he believes the bigger the better. The Camaro is Jasper's pride and joy, and the Corvette is Renee's."

"Fuck me," I mumbled.

"Ok, Pretty Boy, let's go before they wise up and stop us," laughed Bella.

I laughed as I ran around to the passenger side of Bella's mustang and climbed in. She smiled as she started the car and pulled it out of the oversized garage. She turned the radio up as we drove out of Forks toward La Push.

Ten minutes later, she pulled her car up in the parking lot of First Beach. There were maybe a dozen other cars in the parking lot. Bella and I climbed out of the car and headed down to the beach, where there was a huge bonfire. There were probably thirty people hanging around on the beach.

"Bella!" squealed a beautiful red headed woman as she came running over to Bella. She threw her arms around her.

"Hey, Nessie," laughed Bella. Nessie pulled away from Bella and looked over at me.

"This must be Edward," smiled Nessie. "I'm Vanessa Black, Jacob's wife, but if you value your manhood, you will call me Nessie."

"It's nice to meet you, Nessie," I smiled, back.

"Bella, let's go get you a drink," smirked Nessie, pulling Bella away.

"I see you've met my better half," laughed Jacob, stepping up next to me.

"Yep," I chuckled. "She's certainly a firecracker."

"Oh, trust me, I know," sighed Jacob. "Let's get you a drink. We've got just about every nonalcoholic beverage you can think of."

"I'll just take a water," I said. I followed Jacob over to one of the coolers. He tossed me a bottle of water. "So how do you know Bella?"

"She showed up one day in the diner about nine months ago," said Jacob, shrugging his shoulders. "She just sat down in one of the booths with her iPod on, staring out the window. She ignored me when I tried to take her order. She came in nearly everyday for the next month. Same thing, just sat there with her iPod on. Then one day, she ordered a chocolate milkshake. That was all she said. Slowly over the next few months, she started talking to me and Nessie more and more. She's a cool kid."

"That she is," I murmured, looking over to where she and Nessie were standing. They were laughing and smiling.

"Don't hurt her," said Jacob. I looked over at him. "Look, you seem like a decent guy. The Bella you see over there with my wife is not the same Bella that I knew even a week ago. She's always been, almost nice, to me and Nessie, but I have never seen her smile or laugh like that. I think it's because of you. Just don't hurt her, ok? Something tells me that she's been through more than enough."

"I won't," I promised.

Twenty minutes later, Bella and Nessie came back over to me and Jacob. Nessie dragged Jacob away so Bella and I walked down the beach a little ways. She plopped down in the sand so I sat down next to her.

"Having fun?" I asked.

"Oh, a blast," she snorted. "These kids are pretty cool. The elders here at the rez allow the kids to have these parties as long as they keep the alcohol away. They figure it will keep the kids from drinking and driving. A few of us pale faces, as they like to call all of us from outside of the rez, come down and hang out sometimes."

"Why didn't you tell me you had an older sister?" I asked. Bella sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"We don't really get along with Renee," said Bella, looking over at me. "She's two years older than Carlisle. After my parents died, she and Charlie moved to China, leaving them here to deal with my breakdown. Renee never liked that we all boxed, especially me. She thought that because I am a girl that I should be, I don't know, less rough around the edges, I guess. Anyway, she tried to talk the boys into letting her and Charlie take me to China with them but I didn't want to go. They all fought, it got pretty nasty. Renee and Charlie left without telling us goodbye a week later. We moved from Seattle to Forks about nine months later."

"You seem really close to your brothers though," I smiled.

"Growing up, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were my hero's. I used to spend hours in the gym watching them train. When they would step into the ring, it was like watching Muhammad Ali defeating Joe Frazier. They move with such grace and pose. My father used to tell us that boxing was an art form and a truly great boxer was an artist painting their masterpiece. He thought us to respect our competitors as much as we respected ourselves," smiled Bella, looking out at the water. "I wanted to be just like them."

"I get that," I said, softly. Bella laid her head on her knees as she looked over at me. "When I was little, Esme was my hero. She still is, as uncool as that sounds. She's ten years older than I am but she never treated me like I was. She didn't care that I followed her around. She would let me play in her room while she did homework or listened to music. My mother used to tell me to leave Esme alone but Esme would just laugh it off and tell her that it was fine. Maybe it's because we never really had friends so we relied on each other. When it was time for me to decide to move with my parents to Italy or move in with Esme, I chose her because I knew that no matter what, she was here for me."

"Was it hard moving around so much?" asked Bella.

"Yeah," I said. "You learn pretty quickly not to get too attached to people because you will have to leave them."

"Yet, here you are insisting on a friendship with me," she smiled.

"Touché," I smirked.

"Bella!" squealed Angela and Kate as they came over and pulled her to her feet.

"Let's go dance," begged Kate.

"Um, no," smiled Bella.

"Please?" whined Angela.

"Fine," sighed Bella, rolling her eyes.

I laughed as I stood up and followed them back over to the bonfire. Angela, Kate, and Bella started grinding together along with the music that was playing. I couldn't help but notice the way that Bella's body moved. It was just like when she boxed. She truly was an artist. She caught my eye as she swayed her hips from side to side. Her face turned a soft, pink as she smiled her breathtaking smile. I smiled as I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder.

"There is nothing hotter than seeing three gorgeous women dancing together in front of a giant fire," chuckled Ben.

"Except if they were naked," pointed out Garrett, causing me and Ben to laugh. "I'm just saying that if they were naked, it would be much, much hotter."

"I seriously wonder what Kate sees in you, Garrett," I laughed, shaking my head.

"Me too, Edward, me too," sighed Garrett.

The three of us stood there for a moment and watched the girls dancing together. After a few minutes of openly ogling them, we made our way over to them. Ben and Garrett immediately pulled Angela and Kate into their arms. Bella blushed as she looked up at me, biting her bottom lip.

"Want to dance?" I asked, holding out my hand.

"Sure," she smiled.

She placed her hand in mine and I gently pulled her to me. The song had changed from an upbeat number to a slow song. Bella slowly slid her hands up my arms to my shoulders as I wrapped my arms around her waist. She looked up at me as we started shifting out feet side to side. She shivered slightly.

"Are you cold?" I asked, pulling her a little tighter into my arms.

"No," she whispered. My eyes traveled from hers down to her lips and back up. "Edward…"

"Bella…" I murmured, leaning down slowly. My lips were so close to hers that I could feel her cool breath. I licked my lips as I leaned down and-

"OK, BREAK IT UP, KIDS," yelled a police man, turning on his siren. Bella pulled back from me and took a deep breath.

"Guess it's time to go," she sighed.

"Yeah," I mumbled.

Bella slid her hand into mine as we made our way back over to her car. Neither of us said anything as we climbed into the car. Bella turned the radio up as we headed back to Forks. Ten minutes later, she pulled her car up in front of my apartment building.

"You coming to the gym tomorrow to work out?" she asked, turning in her seat to look at me.

"Probably," I said. "I'll probably get up in the morning and run first, though."

"Yeah, me too," she murmured. "Maybe, I'll see you on the road or something."

"Maybe," I smiled. I took off my seatbelt and opened my car door. "Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight, Edward," she said with her own smile.

I climbed out of the car and made my way up to my apartment. I looked back and waved at Bella before I headed inside. I headed straight to my room where I changed into a pair of pajama pants and laid down on my bed. What a strange evening it had turned out to be. I put my iPod on and thought about my dance with Bella as I drifted off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

13

"EDWARD," screamed Esme, busting into my room. I fell out of bed and looked over at her. She had a look of panic on her face.

"What the fuck, Esme?" I snapped.

"We need to go to Bella," she cried, frantically. I jumped to my feet.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"She needs you," she said, thrusting her cell phone into my hands and pulling me out of my room.

"Hello?' I asked, putting the phone up to my ear.

"GET OFF OF ME," screamed Bella in the back ground. "HE'S GOING TO KILL HIM."

"Get your ass here now," ordered Carlisle before he hung up.

I shut Esme's phone and climbed into her car. She peeled out and sped through town. What the fuck had happened to Bella tonight? She was fine when she dropped me off. Esme pulled her car up behind the gym in a matter of minutes. I jumped out before she even had the time to cut the engine and ran up the backstairs. A short, pixie like woman was standing at the back door, holding it open.

"Hurry your fucking ass up," she hissed.

I ignored her as I ran into the apartment. I could hear Bella's screams from outside. I followed them to a back bedroom, where I found Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle all trying to hold Bella down as she thrashed around on the bed. Charlie, Renee, and a blond woman were standing against one of the walls just watching with looks of sheer fear on their faces.

"FUCKING GET OFF OF ME! HE'S KILLING EDWARD," growled Bella, pulling her arm free of Emmett and slugging him in the jaw. He fell off the bed. Bella reared back and smashed her fist into Carlisle's face, causing him to fall back. I ran over and pushed Jasper out of the way and pulled Bella into my arms.

"It's ok, Bella," I whispered. She stopped struggling against me and relaxed into my arms. "No one is hurting me."

"Have to save you," she mumbled.

"You did," I whispered, pulling her down so that we were laying down. Bella clutched onto the front of my t-shirt.

"Don't leave me," she whimpered.

"I won't leave you, Bella," I whispered. "I promise."

Slowly, everyone walked out of Bella's room, leaving us laying on her bed. Carlisle pulled her blankets from the floor and laid them on top of us without saying anything. It was an unspoken gesture of the trust he had in me. I tightened my arms around Bella as she whimpered again in her sleep. I just held her tight as I fell back to sleep with her.

I was shaken awake when I felt Bella pull out of my arms. I groaned and opened my eyes. She was sitting up on the side of the bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. I sat up and laid my hand on her shoulder. She looked at me from over her shoulder. Her eyes were full of fear. Does she feel like this every morning?

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"I don't know," she muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"You needed me," I said, simply, laying back down on the bed. Bella turned so that she was facing me and laid down but she was curled up into a tight ball like she was afraid she was going to fall apart.

"Hmm," she hummed. Her eyes were wide open as she stared at me. "Did I…hurt you?"

"No," I said, softly. "But Carlisle and Emmett…"

"Oh shit," she muttered, burying her face in her pillow. "Just what I needed with Renee here."

"Renee going to be a bitch, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah," she sighed, looking over at me. "I'm sorry for making you come over here and deal with my crazy."

"First of all, you are not crazy," I said, rolling onto my side and looking at her. "You've had a lot of fucked up shit happen to you but you are not crazy. Second of all, you didn't make me come over here. Bella, I am your friend and I will be here to hold you every and any time you need me to, Ok?"

"Ok," she whispered. "I guess we should get out there. I can hear the assholes in the kitchen."

"Ok," I smiled.

I climbed off the bed and held out my hand to Bella. She smiled as she placed her hand in mine. I pulled her over to her bedroom door and out into the kitchen. Carlisle and Esme were standing in front of the stove, cooking eggs and bacon. I looked over at Bella, who was trying really hard not to laugh. Emmett was sitting next to the blond woman from last night. He had his head down as she whispered in his ear. Jasper had the pixie woman in his lap. Charlie and Renee were sitting in the other two seats, gazing upon the others like they were dancing naked in the moonlight or something. They all looked up at us as we came in.

"Oh shit," gasped Bella, taking in Carlisle's black eye and Emmett's swollen, bruised jaw. "I am…so…sorry," Bella cried, her eyes filling with tears.

"It's ok, Bell," smiled Emmett. "We took it like a man."

"Yeah, Emmett only cried for five minutes," smirked Jasper.

"Shut the fuck up, Jas," growled Emmet.

"I didn't…" fretted Bella. I slipped my hand out of hers and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her into my arms.

"They know," I whispered into her ear, sliding my other arm around her. "They aren't mad at you."

"You can't know that," whispered Bella, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"I can see it in their eyes, Bella," I whispered.

She laid her head on my chest as she looked over at her brothers. They, along with Esme, Charlie, Renee, and the two woman attached to Emmett and Jasper, were staring at the two of us with their mouths hanging wide open.

"What?" we asked at the same time.

"Nothing," they all muttered, looking at each other.

"Are you hungry?" asked Carlisle, smiling at me and Bella.

"I guess," said Bella, looking at everyone. They were still staring at us. "What the fuck are you all staring at?"

"You are cling-"

"Hi, I'm Alice Brandon," squealed the pixie woman, interrupting Renee as she jumping from Jasper's lap and bounced over to me and Bella, who stepped away from me to avoid the excited woman. Alice thrust her hand in my face.

"Um, I'm Edward," I said, slowly shaking her hand.

"Oh, I know," she giggled. I looked over at Bella with wide eyes.

"Alice, stop," laughed Bella. "You are scaring him."

"Is that true?" asked Alice, giving me piercing look.

"Yes," I admit. Alice smiled at me.

"Good," she chirped. "Then I won't have to threaten to rip off your dick if you hurt her."

"Oh my god, Alice," growled Bella. "Shut the fuck up."

"Come on, Ali," laughed Jasper, pulling the mini terminator back into his lap. "We don't want to traumatize the boy."

"Too late," I grumbled. The blond girl sitting next to Emmett stood up and came over to me.

"Listen here, kid. You had better be the real deal here or I will not only help Alice rip off your dick, but I will pour salt and lemon juice in the wound. Bella, here, is my little sister and nobody, and I do mean nobody, hurts her and gets away with it. Do we have an understanding?" She asked. I just stared at her with my mouth hanging wide open.

"Fuck my life," groaned Bella. Miss Rambo cocked her eyebrow at me.

"Well?" she snapped. "I know you can speak, so….fucking speak already."

"I…shit…." I trailed off, looking over at Bella. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Bella asked. confused.

"You are around this shit all the time, aren't you?" I asked.

"Yes," said Bella, seriously.

"I am so sorry," I laughed. Bella busted out laughing. "Seriously, I am. I mean shit, first I have the little terminator over there, threatening to rip off my manhood, but then, Miss Rambo here threatens to rub salt in my wound. That shit's cold."

"They're harmless," scoffed Bella, smiling.

"If you say so," I snickered, looking up at the blond. She was glaring at me. "Oh, I understand. You're scary and I should fear you."

"I think I like you, kid," smiled the blond. "I'm Rosalie but you can call me Rose."

"Edward," I smiled, back.

"Well, shit," pouted Emmett. We all looked over at him. "I was fucking counting on her to scare you."

"Emmett, I have an older sister," I said, pointing at Esme. "Plus, my mom makes these two look like amateurs."

"You bet your ass she does," snickered Esme, giving me a high five.

"Are you all fucking insane?" snapped Renee. Bella tensed up next to me so I slipped my arm back around her as we all looked over at her. She was glaring at her brothers and Bella while Charlie just looked bored. "We need to talk about what happened last night."

"No, we don't," muttered Bella, turning and pulling me back toward her room. Renee stood up and grabbed her arm. Bella turned around and went to hit her but I caught her fist in mid-air. "Don't grab me, Renee."

"Don't run like a baby," sneered Renee.

"Don't tell me what to do," snapped Bella.

"Someone needs to," yelled Renee.

"Well, it's fucking not going to be you," snapped Carlisle. "You can't just come in her after nearly two years and pretend you fucking care, Ren."

"Shut the fuck up, Car," grumbled Renee.

"I don't think I will," said Carlisle. "You and Charlie left us, remember?"

"We are not talking about that right now," snapped Renee. "We are talking about the…fit or whatever Bella had last night."

"I don't want to talk about it," muttered Bella, turning back to her room.

"I don't care," replied Renee, grabbing her arm again. I pulled Bella behind me before she did something she would regret.

"Look, I don't know you and honestly, I don't really care if she gives you the need for a nose job or not, but Bella's made it clear that she doesn't want to talk about last night right now. If I were you, I would back the fuck off of her," I said, calmly.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" growled Renee.

"He's my friend," snapped Bella, stepping out from behind me. "Unlike you and that asshole you are married to, he gives a shit about me and my feelings."

"Bella-"

"I don't really want to hear it, Renee," interrupted Bella, pulling me toward her room.

Renee yelled at her to stop but Bella just ignored her and pulled me into her room and slammed the door shut. She turned and looked at me for a second before she jumped into my arms, wrapping her arms and legs around me and crushing her lips to mine.


	14. Chapter 14

14

Bella was kissing me. She was kissing me and I was standing there like an idiot. After freezing up for a second, I wrapped my arms around Bella's body and started kissing her back. She moaned and slipped her tongue into my mouth causing me to moan this time. I somehow stumbled over to her bed and laid down without breaking my lips off of hers.

Bella's hands slid up to my hair. She pulled at my hair, causing me to moan into her mouth again. This girl had no clue what she was doing to me. Then just as suddenly as she had thrown herself on me, Bella pushed me away from her and scrambled off of her bed. Her eyes were wild like she wasn't sure what had just happened here.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry, Edward," fretted Bella. I climbed off the bed. "I didn't mean to… I mean I did but I didn't mean to force you-"

I cut her off by gently grabbing her face in my hands and pressing my lips down on hers again. Bella gasped and I slipped my tongue into her mouth. She sighed softly and stated kissing me back. I gently lifted her up and carried her back over to the bed. Our lips moved softly against each others. After a few minutes, we broke away from each other, both panting softly.

"So…" trailed off Bella, biting her bottom lip. I smiled and reached up and pulled her lip out from between her teeth.

"So…" I whispered., stroking her cheek in my hand. She blushed and looked away. "Bella, look at me."

"No," she whispered.

"Please?" I asked. Bella sighed and looked back at me. She looked so scared. "Talk to me."

"I don't know what to say," she whispered.

"You kissed me," I said.

"I know," she sighed, looking away again.

"Look at me," I said, again. Bella turned back to me. "Do you….regret kissing me?"

"No," she whispered, blushing a beautiful shade of pink. "Do you?"

"Um, fuck no," I smiled. Bella smiled a big, beautiful smile. "That was incredible. I wanted to kiss you last night at the bond fire but…"

"The coppers got in the way," muttered Bella.

"Exactly," I laughed.

"So….what…what does this mean?" blushed Bella.

"Well, I think this means that we l-"

"Don't say that word," scolded Bella.

"What word?" I asked.

"The L word," grumbled Bella.

"You mean you aren't madly, passionately, and irrevocably in love with me?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at her.

"No," groaned Bella. "I mean I like you, Edward, but shit, we just met a week ago. It's kind of fast to be talking about love."

"Wow," I sighed, dramatically. "Here I was prepared to drop down on one knee and pop the question."

"WHAT?" screamed Bella. I busted out laughing as her eyes flew open and her mouth dropped.

"Bella, I was joking," I laughing.

"That's so not funny," snapped Bella, but her eyes were laughing even if she looked pissed.

"Oh, it was plenty funny," I scoffed, laying on my back. "The look on your face was worth every bit of it."

"You're an asshole," she pouted.

"Yet, you like me," I smiled. Bella smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I like you," she said. "Do you like me?"

"Um, I'm laying on your bed, in my pajamas, after just kissing you," I smirked. "I think that means I like you."

"Do you like, like me?" asked Bella, coyly.

"Yes, Bella, I like, like you," I smiled. "Do you like, like me?"

"Yes," she whispered, seriously. "A lot."

"Me too," I whispered, looking over at her.

I rolled over and pressed my lips to hers once again. Bella gently pressed her lips back against mine. She gripped my hair in her hands again, causing me to moan. She slipped her tongue into my mouth as she pressed her body against mine.

"Bella, Edward, come eat," yelled Carlisle, through Bella's door. Bella groaned and pulled her lips from mine.

'We'll be there in a few minutes," she yelled back. She looked back at me. "Guess we should go."

"I suppose," I sighed, rolling onto my back.

"I don't want to tell them about us," said Bella. I looked over at her confused. "Look, I really like you, Edward, and I don't want this to end between us but my brothers will beat shit out of you. Renee will bitch and whine cause that's all she does and the boys will tease the fuck out of me. Please, just for now, until we figure out what we want to happen, can we just keep this private?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "Besides, Esme would probably start squealing and email my mother, who would probably hop on the first plane back to the states just to meet you so not telling them that you are my girlfriend would probably be the best thing."

"I'm your girlfriend?" asked Bella, smiling.

"Yes," I said, as a matter of fact. "I've decided you are my girlfriend and I'm your boyfriend just like I decided we were friends the other day."

"Well, gee, in that case, I would love to be your girlfriend," giggled Bella.

"You said love," I gasped, climbing off her bed. "I knew you loved me."

"You're a dork," laughed Bella, climbed off after me. I pulled her into my arms.

"But I'm your dork," I smiled.

"So you are," smiled Bella. "How'd I end up with a dork for a boyfriend?"

"Just lucky, I guess," I smirked.

Bella just rolled her eyes and dragged me out of her bedroom. We joined everyone but Charlie and Renee at the table for breakfast. None of the others mention where they went and neither Bella nor I asked. Honestly, I don't think Bella cared. Once everyone was done eating, Bella and I washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen.

"So what are you doing today?" I asked her.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I would normally work out but I don't really feel like it today."

"Well, how about if you show me around," I suggested. "I haven't really seen much of Forks yet."

"You really aren't missing anything," laughed Bella.

"Are you laughing?" asked Jasper. Bella and I turned around and saw him standing in the doorway, looking shocked and surprised.

"Yes, it's not like it's the first time I've ever laughed," said Bella, rolling her eyes.

"I know that, bitch, but it's the first time since…in a while," said Jasper, looking from her to me.

"So?" asked Bella, glaring at her brother.

"So nothing," he smiled. "When you're ready, we can head down to the gym."

"I'm not training today," said Bella.

"What?" asked Carlisle, as he, Emmett, Rose, and Alice ran up behind Jasper, whose mouth was hanging open.

"I am not training today," repeated Bella, slowly. "I'm going to show Edward around Forks."

"But you…" trailed off Emmett. Carlisle smiled as he looked between the two of us.

"Ok," he shrugged. "Have fun and be careful. Bella, no terrorizing Lauren."

"You take all the fun out my day, Car," grumbled Bella.

"I'm sure you'll survive," he snickered. Bella rolled her eyes and looked back at me.

"I'm going to go change and then I can take you by your place so you can change, ok?"

"Sure," I said. Bella smiled at me before she turned and ran into her room.

"I don't know what you've done, kid, but that is the first time she's laughed or smiled this much in a long time," commented Carlisle. "Don't stop."

"I won't," I said. I looked over at Esme. "How was Mom's email?"

"You are a little shit for doing that," laughed Esme. "She asked me just about every question you can think of and more. I swear she is looking for a reason to fly back stateside. Oh, and you should check yours."

"You bitch," I laughed. "I'm not surprised. We both know how Mom is."

"You ready?" asked Bella, coming into the kitchen wearing a pair of tight jeans, a black Rolling Stones t-shirt, and her motorcycle boots.

"Yep," I said. "Es, what are you doing today?"

"I'm going shopping with Alice and Rose," smiled Esme, a forced smiled. She hated shopping. "Apparently, I need a new look."

"Well….have fun," I smiled.

Esme flipped me off causing the rest of us to laugh as Bella and I left. We made our way out to the garage and climbed into her car. She drove me back to my apartment and we headed upstairs. I ran into my room and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I slipped on my shoes and followed Bella back down to her car.

Bella was right, there wasn't much to this town. Other than the local ice cream shop, a few small boutiques downtown, and one dollar store, there was nothing, and I do mean nothing, in this town. Bella and I ended up back down at First Beach, sitting in the sand with our arms touching, watching the waves beat against the shore.

"Tell me about your parents," said Bella, after a few minutes.

"My Dad, Edward Sr., is quite the prankster. He and I used to conspire together against Esme and my Mom, Elizabeth. Never anything mean, just good ole fun. He always made sure he had time to train me. He understood how hard it was to constantly move around. The four of us have always been extremely close to each other. My Mom is the most amazing woman, Bella. She is very protective of all of us. She isn't afraid to stand up to those that treat others wrong. Esme is a lot like our mom," I said, grabbing her hand in mine.

"How much older is Esme than you?" asked Bella.

"Ten years," I smiled. "My parents were told after she was born that they couldn't have any other children. My mother was heartbroken. She told me she always imagined her house full of screaming children."

"What it must have been like to have such a small family," chuckled Bella, shaking her head. "Our house was always so busy. Between the guys from the gym, the girls my mom, Corrine, taught dance to, and my siblings friends, we hardly ever had a night that there weren't at last five extra people there. Of course, my Mom loved it. She loved having a dozen people to cook for. My Dad, Nolan, uses to tease her that the only reason my mother let him keep the gym open was so that he would bring his fighters over to eat."

"You smile when you talk about your parents," I said, softly.

"They were great parents," whispered Bella, laying her head on my shoulder. I slipped my arm around her waist. "They loves us all so much."

"I'm sure they did," I whispered, pressing my lips to her head.

Bella and I hung out down at first beach for about another hour before we headed back to Forks. I snuck in a kiss when she dropped me off at my apartment. I went straight up to my room and laid down on my bed. Today had been one of the best days of my life. I knew it had everything to do with Bella.


	15. Chapter 15

15

"No, Masen," snapped Bella, slamming her locker shut.

"Yes, Cullen," I said, smirking, causing her to roll her eyes. "You promised I could drive."

"But-"

"No, buts," I laughed. "A promise is a promise."

"Fine, but I really don't like you right now," grumbled Bella, leaning against her locker. I rolled my eyes this time and put my arm next to her head as I leaned in.

"It won't be that bad," I smiled. "I might even let you control the radio."

"Oh, look, Edward and Bella are so cute together," sneered Lauren, walking past us. "Too bad they are both freaks."

"Oh, look, Lauren's ass looks fucking fat," snapped Bella, causing everyone around us to laugh. "Here's a tip, don't eat so much shit. It makes your ass look huge."

"Fucking little bitch," muttered Lauren, storming through the crowded hallway.

"I don't think she appreciated your suggestion," smirked Angela as she, Ben, Garrett, and Kate joined us at Bella's locker.

"Here I was trying to be a good friend," sighed Bella, shaking her head. She looked up at me. "That's what I get for giving back."

"Yeah, you're a real good Samaritan," I laughed, rolling my eyes. I grabbed her hand and pulled her away from her locker. "Let's go be good Samaritans somewhere else."

Bella groaned as I pulled her past everyone. Bella and I headed out to my car, a beautiful silver Volvo that Bella made fun of for being a 'Mom car'. I didn't care that it was a mom car since that meant that I didn't have to ride with Esme anymore. I was getting really tired of riding in with her every morning. Since she didn't trust Bella's driving to actually get me to school on time, I was forced to ride with Esme.

"Ok, what are you going to force me to listen to this time?" I asked, starting my car.

"Only the best band to ever grace the stage," smiled Bella. "The Rolling Stones."

"I can handle that," I laughed, pulling out of the parking lot.

A few minutes later, I pulled my car up in front of the gym. Bella and I climbed out and headed inside. We found Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper waiting inside with Esme, Renee, Charlie, Alice, and Rose. All of them had looks of anxiousness and excitement etched upon their faces, well except for Renee and Charlie.

Renee had a look of pure annoyance while Charlie looked bored as usual. Over the last couple weeks since they've been here in Forks, Renee has managed to piss Bella off a least five more times, all while she was training. One of these days, one of us is just going to let Bella hit the bitch when she lunges for her. We are all getting tired of hearing her spout off crap. Of course, Charlie doesn't do or say anything to help the matter.

"We about ready?" asked Bella as we came in.

"Yep," mumbled Carlisle, looking around to make sure he had everything. He sighed and looked up at us. "You two ready for this?"

"Yeah," I shrugged, trying to be more confident than I felt. The truth was I was scared shitless but I wasn't about to tell them that.

"Yep," smiled Bella. She was practically vibrating with excitement. It was a little unnerving on how excited she really was.

"Ok, let's load up and head out," sighed Emmett, looking at me. "Drive carefully."

"I will," I muttered, rolling my eyes. Their lack of confidence in me and my driving skills was very annoying.

"I don't even know why they aren't just riding with one of us," mumbled Renee, under her breath.

"Cause we don't want to," snapped Bella, pulling on my arm. "Stupid bitch just can't shut up."

Bella pulled me out of gym and back over to my car. We climbed in and waited for everyone to come out. Renee came storming out a few minutes later, looking pissed and angry but Bella and I had decided that was the only expression she seemed to have anymore. After a few more minutes, everyone was loaded into their cars, Esme with Carlisle, and we were headed to Seattle for mine and Bella's first boxing tournament of the season.

"Ok, so I thought we would start with some 'Ain't to proud to beg' and work our way down to 'Satisfaction,'" smirked Bella, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"It's nice to know you aren't too proud to beg, Baby," I said, flashing her a smile.

"Ugh, that was lame," she scoffed.

"I know," I sighed.

"Are you ok?" asked Bella. "You seem…nervous."

"I am a little," I admitted, looking over at her. "I've never boxed like this before. It's always just been sparing with my dad or you or your brothers. What if…"

"You'll be fine," smiled Bella, grabbing my hand. "If Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper didn't think you were ready, they wouldn't be letting you fight."

"I know," I muttered, looking back at the road.

"It's ok to be scared and nervous," said Bella, laying her head on my shoulder. "I am too."

"You are?" I asked.

"Yeah," she mumbled. "This is the first tournament I've done since…"

"Oh," I whispered.

"My Mom and Dad used to take my brothers to tournaments all the time. I loved going with them. The energy and excitement in the place was…just amazing. When I was fourteen, they entered me in my first juniors tournament. It was the most incredible experience of my life," said Bella.

"How'd you do?" I asked.

"I got my ass handed to me," laughed Bella, "but I was young and stupid. I thought that because I grew up in the gym that I knew more then my father and that nobody could beat me. Needless to say, when I found myself eating the glove of the girl kicking my ass, I realized I was an idiot. I went back home, stopped being such a little bitch, and started training harder."

"That really doesn't make me feel very confident," I chuckled.

"Sorry," smiled Bella, looking up at me. "If it helps, I went to my next tournament and totally kicked her ass."

"Now, that does help," I smiled.

Bella laughed as she turned up the radio and started singing along. I couldn't stop the smile from flittering across my face as I watched her let everything go. This was the Bella that nobody else saw. Even over the last couple weeks since we started going out, she was still so reserved and guarded if anyone else was around. I suppose a big part of her was afraid to let her walls down with anyone else but me. All I really knew was this amazing girl sitting in the passenger seat of my car had totally and completely entranced me.

A couple of hours later, I parked my car next to Carlisle and Esme. Bella and I exchanged a look before we climbed out of the car. We had both found it difficult over the last couple of weeks to keep our relationship from our families but we also knew that they would not completely understand. Bella's brothers were just now starting to trust me a little bit and Esme was still weary of Bella's past.

Bella and I got out of the car and grabbed our bags from the trunk. The tournament was scheduled to start bright and early tomorrow morning but we had to get in here tonight to get registered and weighed in. We followed Carlisle into the hotel and waited while he and Esme checked us in. I exchanged a look with Bella when I saw Carlisle place his hand on the small of Esme's back.

"They must think we are fucking blind if they don't think we know they are all hot for each other," whispered Bella. I bit my lip to stop from laughing.

"No shit," I whispered, back. "I'd say we should lock them in a room together but I don't even want to think about what they might do in there."

"Gross," laughed Bella, causing several people to stop and look around at us.

"What's gross?" asked Renee, cocking her eyebrow at us.

"Nothing," snickered Bella, looking over at me. I was doing my best not to just completely lose it here in front of everyone. "I can't believe you went there."

"Like you didn't think it," I scoffed. I got a flash of Esme and Carlisle…I shuddered. "Fucking mental pictures."

"Sucker," snickered Bella.

"Ok, we have five rooms on the third floor," said Carlisle, coming over to us. "Edward, you are with me. Bella, you are with Esme."

"Great," muttered me and Bella at the same time. Nothing quite like sharing a room with your secret girlfriend's older, pain in the ass brother.

"Anyway," chuckled Carlisle, clearing enjoying the uncomfortable moment. "We need to take everything upstairs and make our way down to conference room twelve for registration and weigh in."

Ten minutes later, we had deposited our belongings into our various rooms and had found our way back downstairs to the lobby. We followed Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper down to the conference room where we found at least a hundred people milling around the large room. I felt Bella tense up next to me and almost reached for her hand but didn't because I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. I looked down at her at the same time she looked up at me. There was a look of fear and dread in her eyes.

'You're ok,' I mouthed.

'I'm…' she shook her head softly and took a deep breath, putting on her stone face again. 'I'm ok.'

We followed Carlisle over while he, Emmett, and Jasper got us registered for the tournament. The people sitting behind the large table seemed surprised when they told them their last name was Cullen. I guess their parents had made quite the name for themselves over the years. After they got us signed in, we followed Carlisle over to get weighed in.

"Ok, Bell, you're first," said Carlisle. Bella stepped up on the scale so the official could weigh her.

"You are 113lbs or 51.4kg which places you in the flyweight division," smiled the official. "Good luck, young lady."

"Thank you," muttered Bella, stepping off the scale.

"Edward, you're next," said Carlisle. I stepped up in the scale and took a deep breath.

"Ok, young man, you are 177lbs or 80.5kg which puts you in light heavy weight division," explained the official. "Good luck to you, too."

"Thank you," I said, stepping off the scale.

"Baby Cullen?" asked a man behind us. Bella, Carlisle and I all turned around. "That is you, isn't it?"

"Well shit, look at that ugly face," smiled Bella. She went over and hugged the man, who had shaggy blond hair and blue eyes. "You look like shit."

"So do you," he smirked, pulling back from her. He gave her the once over and I nearly punched him. "Bella, you look hot. When did that happen?"

"Last Tuesday," snorted Bella, looking back at me. Her eyes widen a little when she realized I was standing there. "James, this is my friend Edward."

"Nice to meet you, Edward," smiled James, holding out his hand to me. I clutched it in mine.

"You too," I muttered, dryly. He looked from me back to Bella before turning to Carlisle. "Hey, Carlisle, how's it going?"

"Not to bad," laughed Carlisle, shaking James' hand. "Where's Vic?"

"Around here somewhere," shrugged James. "Where's the rest of the Cullen Clan?"

"Waiting for us in the back," said Carlisle. "Come say hi."

"Sure," smiled James. Carlisle started leading James through the crowd to the others. I made to follow them but Bella pulled me back. I couldn't look at her.

"Edward, look at me," she whispered. I reluctantly looked down at her. "Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not," I muttered.

"Yes, you are," she whispered, frantically. "Please tell me what I did."

"You didn't do anything," I whispered. "I just…I didn't like seeing him…"

"Edward, James is just a friend of the family," said Bella. "He and Jasper used to train together before they went to college. He's almost like a brother."

"Ok," I said.

"Please don't be mad at me," she whispered.

"I'm not mad at you," I said, softly, staring into her beautiful eyes. "I really want to kiss you right now."

"I really want you to kiss me-"

"Bella, Edward, shake a leg," hollered Emmett, from across the room.

"But they are like vultures following us around," groaned Bella.

"Yep," I muttered. "Fucking family."

Bella and I made our way over to where the others, James, and a beautiful redhead with light brown eyes were talking. The red head looked over at me and Bella and smiled as she pulled Bella into her arms and hugged her.

"Bella, you look great," whispered the woman. She pulled back and moved her hands to Bella's face. "You look more like Corrine everyday."

"Thank you, Vic," whispered Bella. She turned and smiled at me. "Vic, this is my friend Edward. Edward, this is James' girlfriend, Victoria."

"Fiancé, actually," smirked Victoria holding up her left hand. Sitting on her ring finger was a glistening diamond ring.

"So you're finally going to make him an honest man," snorted Bella.

"I figured it was time," snickered Victoria, looking back at me. "It's nice to meet you, Edward."

"You too, Victoria," I smiled.

"Call me Vic," she shuddered. "I fucking hate that name."

"Ok, Vic," I laughed.

"Well, we should be getting to our rooms," said Carlisle. "Big day tomorrow."

"We'll catch up with you sometime tomorrow," smiled James. He looked from Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and Renee over to me and Bella. "Good luck tomorrow, Baby Cullen."

"Thanks," mumbled Bella.

Bella and I followed the others out of the conference room and down to the elevator. We insisted that they take the elevator up first. We stood side by side awkwardly waiting for it to come back down. After a few more minutes, the doors opened and the two of us stepped onto the empty elevator. The doors closed and I looked over at Bella as I hit the stop button.

She bit her lip as she looked up at me. I slowly brought my hands up to her face and cupped it. I pressed my lips down slowly onto hers. Bella moaned and brushed my bottom lips with her tongue, asking for entrance into my mouth. I opened my mouth and let her tongue in. I lifted Bella up and pressed her against the wall of the elevator, kissing her harder and more frantically. Bella wove her fingers into my hair and pulled slightly as the alarm in the elevator started going off.

"Fuck," she whispered. I reached over and hit the stop button causing the elevator to start moving.

"Guess we got a little carried away," I whispered, setting her on her feet.

"A little," smiled Bella. I stepped away from her as the doors opened. We found her brothers, Renee, Charlie, and Esme all waiting for us.

"What the fuck happened?" asked Emmett..

"The cables must have gotten stuck for a minute," lied Bella. "Piece of shit elevator."

"No shit," scoffed Emmett, shaking his head. "Anyway, night all."

"Night," we all mumbled. We headed down the hallway to our rooms. I looked over and smiled at Bella before she followed Esme into their room.

"Goodnight, Bella," I said, softly.

"Goodnight, Edward," smiled Bella.

I waited for Bella to shut the door before I went into mine and Carlisle's room. I pulled out my pajamas from my bag and went into the bathroom to change. I climbed into my bed while he went to change into his. He came back out and got into his bed and turned off the light, after setting the alarm.

"Hey, Edward," he said. "Do me a favor?"

"What?" I asked.

"When kissing my sister in an elevator, try not to cause the alarm to go off," he laughed.

"What?" I gasped.

"You heard me," he said. "Just try to be smoother about it, or whatever."

"Um, ok," I said, weakly.

"Good," he laughed. "Now, get some sleep. You have some ass to kick tomorrow."

I laid there for several minutes trying to wrap my mind around what Carlisle just said to me. Did he just give me permission to keep seeing Bella? Not that it would make a difference but did he? Eventually, I managed to fall asleep, where I once again dreamed of Bella.


	16. Chapter 16

16

After a few hours of trying to sleep but not succeeding, I slipped out of my bed and out of the hotel room I was sharing with Carlisle. I found Bella sitting out in the hall with her iPod on. I went over and sat down next to her. She smiled and looked up at me but her smile didn't reach her eyes. She pulled the ear buds from her ear as she laid her head on my shoulder.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" she asked.

"Couldn't," I muttered. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Nightmare," she barely whispered, looping her arm in with mine. She was clinging to me tightly. "I managed not to wake Esme up but decided not to attempt anymore sleep. I figured I would just sit out here and listen to some music."

"You should have come and gotten me," I frowned.

"I'm ok," she sighed.

"I think Carlisle knows about us," I whispered. Bella looked up at me with wide eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"He told me last night before we went to bed that when kissing you in the elevator to try not to let the alarm go off," I explained. "He told me to be smoother."

"Did he try to hurt you?" she asked.

"No," I laughed, weaving my fingers in with hers. "I think he is ok with us."

"Hmm, imagine that," mumbled Bella, shaking her head. She rested her head back on my shoulder. "Maybe it's cause he's secretly hoping to get your approval to start seeing Esme, officially."

"Maybe," I mused.

"I think Esme knows, too," smiled Bella. I cocked my eyebrow at her. "She was nice to me last night, like really nice. It was kind of creepy but now, I think it's cause she knows."

"Hmm, I guess we weren't very secretive, were we?" I chuckled.

"Apparently not," laughed Bella.

Bella placed one of her ear buds in my ear while putting the other one in her ear. We spent the next hour or so sitting on the floor outside of our rooms listening to her music. I thought it was kind of funny that she had the Glee soundtrack on her iPod but I didn't say anything. Who knew Bella was a closet Gleek?

Eventually, we heard Carlisle and Esme moving around inside our rooms. I stood up and pulled Bella to her feet. I leaned in and kissed her softly before she went back into the room she was sharing with Esme while I went into the room I was sharing with Carlisle. He was just coming out of the bathroom when I came in.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"Out in the hall with Bella," I shrugged.

"Why?" he asked, concerned about her. "Is she ok?"

"She's fine," I said, pulling out my boxing shorts and a t-shirt. "She had a nightmare and opted not to go back to sleep. I couldn't sleep so I went out into the hall. We sat out there and listened to music."

"Did…Esme hear her?" asked Carlisle.

"I don't think so," I said, looking up at him. "When are you going to man up and ask my sister out?"

"When were you and Bella planning on telling us that you two are whatever you are?" he countered.

"When Bella was ready," I answered, honestly.

"Do you like my sister?" he asked.

"Very much," I said. "Do you like my sister?"

"Very much," he repeated, throwing my words back at me.

"Don't hurt her," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "I love Esme, Carlisle. She likes you and I don't want her to get hurt."

"I won't hurt her," he replied. He took a deep breath and sat down on his bed. "Has Bella told you about our parents?"

"Yes," I said.

"Then you know just how hard it is for her to trust anyone," sighed Carlisle.

"Yep," I muttered.

"But she trusts you," said Carlisle. I sat down on my bed and looked over at him. "There is something about you that makes her feel…better. I don't know what that is and, honestly, I don't know that I like it, Edward, but she needs you. Jasper, Emmett, and I do what we can to make her feel safe. Renee likes to cause drama, in case you can't tell. The last thing Bella needs is for you to break her heart."

"When I was seven, we lived in Texas," I said, looking at my feet. "I had just started first grade and was so excited because my best friend, Dalton, was in my class. He and I were like brothers. Then my Dad got transferred to a base in California. I had to leave the only friend I had ever had. I learned that day that you don't let people in. You don't take that chance again. For ten years, I didn't, Carlisle. I was fine with that because I always had my Mom and Dad. I always had Esme. Then one day, my parents told me that we were moving to the other side of the world. I was so fucking pissed. They gave me the choice; go with them and leave my sister here alone or stay with her and let them go. How was I supposed to make that choice? How was I supposed to give one of them up for the other? But I did. In the end, I chose to stay with Esme because at least this way, she wouldn't be alone and I wouldn't have to lose the only friend I had. When I first met Bella, I…"

"You what?" asked Carlisle. I shook my head softly.

"I saw myself in her, Carlisle," I whispered. "Scared, lonely, afraid to let anyone get too close. I'm not saying that I know the pain she feels with what she went through with your parents, but I know what it feels like to be alone. It's not a nice feeling to feel alone in a room full of people, to feel like nobody really sees you for who you are. Bella makes me feel better, Carlisle. I care about her deeply. I will not break her heart."

"Do you love her?" asked Carlisle. I choked a little as I looked up at him. "Do you?"

"I don't know," I said, honestly.

"You need to figure it out," said Carlisle, standing up. "I'm happy for you and Bella, Edward. My sister has changed a lot over the last few weeks and I know that is because of you."

"But," I said, cocking my eyebrow at him.

"But," he smiled, "my brothers may not share my sentiment and Renee certainly won't. I hope you and Bella are prepared to fight for each other because when they find out about the two of you, they are going to be a little pissed."

"Are you going to tell them?" I asked.

"Nope," he said, popping the 'p'. "When you and Bella are ready, I'll be there to support you but it's your choice. Just don't wait too long because they aren't that stupid."

Carlisle walked out of our room, letting the door close behind him. I sat there for a few minutes, replaying his words in my head. It was odd to know that he accepted our relationship but I was glad to have his approval. Bella and I would have to face the music of our relationship soon enough and we would do it together.

I quickly showered and changed for our tournament today. I was desperately trying not to think about what was going to happen today as I headed out into the hall. Bella was waiting for me outside of my room with her iPod on. I didn't say anything as I wrapped my arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. She was in the zone and I wouldn't disturb her.

Bella and I made our way down to the lobby where everyone was waiting for us. I reluctantly removed my arm from around her. She gave me a soft smile and I knew she hated it too. Maybe we should just tell them. Bella and I followed everyone out to our cars. Carlisle insisted that we ride with him and Esme to the arena. Perhaps, he was afraid that we would run away if we drove ourselves. Bella closed her eyes and focused on her music while I stared out the window.

"_Edward, you have to protect yourself," instructed my father, bringing my arm up in front of my face. "Use your arms to block their throws then you can counter with your other arm."_

"_Like this?" I asked, throwing up my left arm and bringing my right up from the bottom._

"_Exactly like that, Son," smiled my father._

"_Dad, I don't want to move again," I grumbled. "It's not fair."_

"_I know it's not," sighed my father, kneeling down in front of me. "I'm sorry but we have to go. They need me in Florida."_

"_But Mom was going to let me sign up for baseball," I whined. _

"_Maybe we can find you a team in Florida," suggested my father. _

"_It wouldn't be the same," I whispered._

"_Edward, I know it's hard to move so much. I'm sorry that I'm doing that to you but as long as we have each other, we'll be ok, right?" he asked._

"_Right," I muttered._

"_Come on, Edward," smiled Esme, from the doorway. She held out her hand to me. "Let's go get some ice cream."_

"_Chocolate chip?" I asked, smiling at my big sister._

"_Duh," she laughed. I dropped my gloves in my father's hands and went over and grabbed Esme's hand. "It's going to be ok, kid. You and I will always be friends."_

"_Promise, Esme?" I asked. She knelt down in front of me._

"_I promise, Edward. You and me are friends for life," she smiled._

"Edward, you ok?" asked Bella. I shook my head softly and looked over at her. She was staring at me with a worried look. We were parked in front of the Arena. Carlisle and Esme were waiting outside of the car.

"Yeah," I smiled. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" she asked. "Cause you kind of looked like you were ready to throw up."

"I was just thinking about my dad," I whispered.

"Oh," she whispered, looking away. "Do you think he would be proud of you for doing this?"

"Yes, I do," I said softly. "I'm sure your Mom and Dad would be proud of you, too."

"I know," whispered Bella, shakily. She took a deep breath and looked back at me. She was struggling not to let the tears fall from her eyes. "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready," I smiled softly. "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready," she smiled back at me. I looked around before I leaned in and kissed her.

"Let's go kick some ass," I whispered.

Bella blushed a soft pink as we climbed out of the car. Carlisle and Esme both pretended not to notice as we followed them to the front doors of the arena. Emmett, Jasper, Rose, Alice, Charlie, and Renee were waiting for the four of us. We were about halfway through the large lobby when Bella grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked. She was shaking violently. Her eyes were wide, fearful, and full of tears.

"Bell?" asked Carlisle, as he and the others stopped and looked back at us. Bella was frozen as she stared across the lobby. I followed her eyes and saw her staring at a man with dark black hair. He was staring at her with a small smile on his face. I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her around to face me.

"Bella," I said, forcefully. She looked over at me with the most terrified expression. "Bella, what is it?"

"It's him," she barely whispered, shaking. Her knees buckled.

"BELLA!" cried out Renee, stepping toward Bella but I held my hand up as I pulled Bella to me.

"Bella, baby, who is that?" I whispered in her ear.

"Aro," she whispered, before she fell limp in my arms.


	17. Chapter 17

17

**BPOV**

"_Bella, keep your elbows tucked in," instructed Nolan._

"_I'm trying," I huffed. _

"_Hey, I know you are, kid. Just relax and have some fun," said my father. "Unless you are afraid that I will kick your butt."_

"_Keep dreaming, old man," I snickered as the front door opened. We both looked over and saw a talk, thin dark haired man come in. He looked around the gym for a moment before his eyes rested on me and Nolan._

"_I'm sorry, we're closed right now," said Nolan._

"_I'm Aro Volturi," said the man, ignoring my father. "I would like to speak to you for a few minutes, Mr. Cullen."_

"_Well, now is not a good time," said my father, harshly. Corrine came out of the office and looked around._

"_I think now would be an excellent time," smiled Aro. Nolan sighed and looked from my mother back to me. _

"_B, go work on the speed bags," muttered my father._

"_Ok," I said._

"_We can talk in my office," gritted Nolan. His jaw was tight and his eyes were cold. I watched as my father led Aro into his office and shut the door. I looked over at my mother._

"_What the heck was that about?" I asked._

"_I don't know," she sighed, looking back at me. "Get on the bags."_

_I made my way over to the speed bags and began working out. My mother piddled around in the waiting area of the gym. She was trying really hard not to go over and eaves drop, I could tell. A few minutes later, I heard my father start yelling. I stopped working on the bags as he threw his office door open._

"_THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'M TELLING YOU," scouted my father. "I WILL NOT WORK FOR YOU. EVER."_

"_You might reconsider that when you think about what you hold dear to you, Mr. Cullen," said Aro, calmly. His eyes flittered to me for a second. "Think about it."_

"_Don't ever think about that again," seethed Nolan. _

"_I'll be in contact again," smiled Aro, looking back over at me. "Soon."_

_Aro smiled again before he turned and walked out of the gym. My father was standing there clenching and unclenching his fists, over and over. I went over to where he and my mother were standing._

"_Daddy, what's going on?" I asked. _

"_Nothing," he snapped, looking back at me. I flinched back from the sheer amount of venom that was laced in his tone. Nolan took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Baby Girl, just stay away from that man, ok?"_

"_Ok, Daddy," I whispered, blinking back the tears that were swimming in my ears. My father had never spoken to me like that before._

"_Hey, I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling me into his arms. "Are you ready for me to kick your butt?"_

"_You can try," I laughed._

I snapped my eyes open and looked around frantically. I was laying in a large, white room. Edward was holding me with a frown etched on his face.

"It's about fucking time," he whispered. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Where is he?" I asked, frantically.

"I don't know," sighed Edward. "He disappeared right after you passed out."

"You saw him, too, right?" I asked.

"Yes, Baby, I did," he sighed. "You're not crazy."

"Thank god," I muttered, sitting up.

"Hey, take it easy," he said,

"I'm fine," I assured him. "Just feel like an idiot."

"You are not an idiot, Bella," said Edward.

"Where are my brothers?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Outside, trying to keep Renee from calling an ambulance," sighed Edward. "She freaked out and claimed that you must have a brain tumor that is making you so irrational."

"I wish it was a tumor," I snorted. "Sounds so much better than just me going crazy."

Edward chuckled under his breath as we stood up and headed out into the hall. Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper had Renee blocked into a corner. She had a hateful, disgusted look in her face as she argued with them. I rolled my eyes at the four of them and cleared my throat, causing all four of them to snap their heads to me. All four of them sighed at the same time, it was eerie.

"I'm fine, stop worrying," I said, before they could say anything. "How long until my first match?"

"Ten minutes," said Carlisle.

"You are not fighting anymore," insisted Renee.

"Well, we should get going," I said, ignoring Renee.

"You are not fighting anymore, Isabella," snapped Renee.

"Yes, I am, you stupid Bitch," I snapped back. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

"I'm your sister," griped Renee. "I get to boss you around."

"I get to ignore you," I grumbled. "I'm fighting and that's it."

I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him down the hallway away from everyone. At this point, I didn't care if they knew Edward and I were together. They would either deal with it and move on or Edward and I would have to kick their asses. I was ninety percent sure the two of us could take them all out.

They scrambled up behind us but didn't say anything as we stepped out into the large arena. There were at least ten different rings set up in the large room. I looked back over at Edward and smiled before I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him.

"What the fuck?" muttered Emmett. I pulled away from Edward, who looked stunned, and smiled again.

"Kick some ass today, Baby," I smiled.

"You too," winked Edward, ignoring the glares coming from Emmett, Jasper, and Renee. Charlie looked bored while Alice, Rose, and Esme looked excited. Carlisle was snickering under his breath as all good brothers do. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Ok," I smiled, blushing slightly. I moved my arms around him and looked over at Emmett and Jasper. "Let's go, boys."

I turned and headed toward my ring while Carlisle dragged Edward over to his. Emmett and Jasper were both muttering to each other as they followed us. I couldn't help but smirk inwardly at the two of them. Only they would be discussing my personal life while we were at a boxing tournament.

As we walked through the arena, I found myself looking around frantically for any signs that Aro Volturi was here. I hadn't seen him since the night he walked into our gym and I would have preferred to keep it that way. The last thing I needed was for him to drag my brothers into what ever twisted web he had dragged my parents into.

"Ok, tape my hands," I ordered, stopping at my first ring. I held my hands out to Jasper.

"Don't think we aren't going to talk about this thing with the boy," grumbled Jasper, pulling the tape out of my bag.

"I'm sure we will," I sighed, "not that it will make a difference to him or me."

"Don't be so sure about that," muttered Emmett as Jasper started wrapping my hands. "Now, focus on your match. If you are distracted, you will get your ass kicked."

"No shit," I snorted.

My first match was against a girl named Shawna Cole, a dirty blond with hazel eyes. She was a little taller than I was but that didn't make a difference. Once we were both ready, our referee started our match. She came at me like a banshee, throwing her fists wildly. I moved my feet and kept out of her way until I noticed she was starting to get winded. Then I went for the knock out. She came at me again, trying to throw her left at me. I ducked and threw an uppercut with my right and followed with my left. She fell back onto the mat, hard.

"Winner!" declared the referee, holding up my arm. "Nice match."

"Thanks," I told him before I climbed out of the ring.

"Good job, Bell," smiled Jasper, handing me a bottle of water once I had my gloves off.

"You did good," said Emmett. "You have twenty minutes until your next match. Make sure you stay loose."

"Ok," I muttered, looking around. "When was Edward's first match?"

"Started about five minutes ago," said Jasper, grabbing my stuff. "But don't think about him right now. Focus on your matches."

"I am," I snapped, harshly.

Twenty minutes later, I climbed back into the ring to face my next competitor. This time I was facing a girl by the name of Candy Clark. She was a short, slightly chunky girl with dark brown hair and eyes. She turned out to be tougher than she looked but not much. She was a little smarter about conserving her energy but by the middle of second round, she was slowing down and her punches were starting to weaken. I smirked inwardly as I stepped up and increased my punches. By the time the judges rang the bell, Candy was barely keeping herself up on the ropes.

"Are you going to be able to continue?" asked the referee, kneeling next to her.

"No," she mumbled, dropping onto the mats.

"Winner," declared the referee, holding my arm up again. "Nice match, young lady."

"Thank you," I said, before climbing out of the ring.

"Come sit down," ordered Emmett, dragging me over to one of the many benches. He took off my headgear and looked at the swelling around my eye. "She got you good."

"Stung like a bitch," I mumbled, while Jasper took off my gloves. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said, handing me a bottle of cold water. "Drink. You don't want to get dehydrated."

"When's my next match?" I asked, taking a big gulp.

"Not for an hour," said Emmett, putting an ice pack on my eye. "Are you hungry?"

"No," I said, taking over the ice bag. "How's Edward doing?"

"I don't know," he muttered. "Who fucking cares?"

"I do," I snapped.

"Well, you shouldn't," grumbled Jasper.

"Hey, don't be an ass to him," I sighed, standing up. "He's my best friend."

I left my two brothers sitting there glaring at me. I knew they weren't happy about me and Edward but I really didn't care. They had no idea how much I cared about him, how much he had helped me over just the last few weeks. He had become my rock, my lifejacket, my best friend. I hated how much my brothers had to help me when I was freaking out. Alice and Rose never complained but I knew it was hard on them when Carlisle would have to call Emmett and Jasper to come help him deal with my panic attacks.

Then there was Carlisle, who had given up on dating all together after I came to live with them. His girlfriend at the time, Simone, wasn't as understanding as Rose and Alice were about me and my craziness. He never complained, at least not to me, but I hated that he was lonely. I knew he was. That's why, as gross as it is to think of my brother with anyone, I liked that he liked Esme. She was a sweet lady who loved her family more than Edward would ever know. She and Carlisle would be good together.

Forty-five minutes later, I headed over for my last march of the day. Emmett and Jasper were waiting for me with Renee. I groaned inwardly as I tossed my melted ice pack at Emmett.

"Redo my tape," I muttered to Jasper.

"Ok," he mumbled. He started cutting my tape off my hands.

"That eye looks like shit," commented Renee.

"Well, it feels fine," I said, not bothering to look at her.

"Good," she sighed. "Who's your next competitor?"

"Marissa Barawski," I replied.

"Is she hard?" asked Renee.

"I don't know," I shrugged as Jasper finished taping and gloving my hands. He pulled on my headgear and I looked over at Renee. "But it doesn't matter, I'm tougher."

"I'm sure you are," smiled Renee, shaking her head.

I smiled back at her before I climbed into the ring and looked over at Marissa. She was about three inches taller than I was. She had short brown hair and blue eyes. We met in the middle of the ring and touched gloves before we went back to our separate corners. Jasper stuffed my mouthpiece into my mouth just before the judges rang the bell.

She went to her left so I followed her footsteps. She stepped up and tried to hit me with a right but I blocked her punch and hit her in the gut with my right. She groaned and stumbled back a couple steps. I hit her with a left roundhouse followed by a right uppercut, straight to her nose. I felt the cartilage crunch under my gloved fist.

She came back with an left uppercut to my jaw, causing me to stumbled back before I threw a left jab into her face. She stumbled back against the ropes, with a loud cry. She fell to her knees as she brought her own gloved hands to her face.

"Back to your corner," ordered the referee, stopping the match. I moved back into my corner where I spit out my mouthpiece in the bowl Jasper was holding.

"You got her good," muttered Jasper. The referee came over to me after checking on Marissa.

"Winner," he yelled, holding my arm up. "Nice job."

"Thank you," I said. I went over to Marissa. "Good job."

"You too," she muttered. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Thank you," I mumbled. I went over and climbed out of the ring. "How long until we head out?"

"Carlisle, Edward, Esme, and Charlie are waiting for us in the lobby," said Jasper, pulling off my gloves. He cut off my tape and I removed my headgear. "That was an awesome match, Bell."

"Thanks," I said, wiping my face and shoulders off with my towel. "Let's go."

"You did really good, Bell," said Renee, looping her arm in with mine. "Really good."

"Yeah?" I asked, looking over at her.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Kind of remind me of Dad."

I just smiled at her as we headed out to meet the others. It took a lot for Renee to say anything nice about my fighting. We found the other's waiting for us by the front doors. Edward had the beginnings of a black eye but other wise looked unharmed. I ran over and jumped in his arms.

"I'm taking it your matches went good," he laughed, wrapping his arms around me.

"Yep," I smirked. "I beat their asses. How did your matches go?"

"I beat some asses too," he smiled. He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.

"Ok, that's enough," grumbled Emmett. "Let's get back to the hotel so you two can change before we head to dinner."

Edward and I both laughed as he set me back down on my feet. Emmett and Jasper both pouted as they pushed past us, pulling Rose and Alice with them, who were laughing silently. Edward held my hand as we followed them out to our cars.

A few minutes later, we pulled up in front of the hotel. Edward and I jumped out of the car and ran inside and stepped into the elevator before they could catch up. We kissed until the doors opened and broke us out of our private moment. We headed down to our rooms.

I took a quick shower, ignoring the black eye that was forming and the bruise on my jaw. I pulled on a pair of ripped jeans, a Metallica t-shirt, and my black leather boots. I dried my hair and left it down. I headed out of the bathroom and found Esme sitting on the bed.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.


	18. Chapter 18

18

**EPOV**

I couldn't help but chuckle softly as Emmett and Jasper glared at me and muttered under their breath as they followed Bella. My girl was ballsy, that's for sure.

"I'll give you this much, kid," laughed Carlisle, playing his hand on my shoulder. "My sister is going to keep you on your toes. I hope you're ready."

"I am," I smiled, looking from him to Esme and back. "You should be asking yourself that."

"Trust me, I am," he murmured, looking over at Esme. She was talking to Rose and Alice, while Charlie looked bored and Renee was scowling. "Well, let's go."

I followed Carlisle into the large arena and bit back my gasp. The room was filled with rings, fighters, judges, and fans. I'll admit that I was in awe and one hundred percent scared out of my fucking mind. As I followed Carlisle over to my first ring, I couldn't help but look around at all the other fighters around me. I was going to get my ass kicked, hard.

"Ok, let's get you taped," said Carlisle. I stuck my hand out and tried to squash my nerves. "Relax, Edward. You are ready for this."

"Yeah?" I asked. "Then why don't I feel ready?"

"Cause you are scared," snickered Carlisle. "When I was sixteen, my father signed me up for my first tournament. I was scared shitless but Nolan, my father, told me that I would be ok. All I could do was look around at all those other fighters. They all looked huge compared to me. I thought that I was going to get killed."

"Apparently, you didn't," I muttered as he gloved me.

"No, I didn't," he laughed, looking up at me. "The first guy I fought got one hit on me before I let go of all my nerves and beat his ass. After that, I went into each fight with a little more confidence than the one before. You're going to get hit. It's going to hurt. You shake it off, regroup, and go on. Understand?"

"I understand," I mumbled. Carlisle put my head gear on and I looked over at Esme. She was biting her nails. "Es, stop biting your nails."

"I'm not," she grumbled, dropping her hand from her mouth. I stepped over to her and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Remember Mark Daniels?" I asked.

"Yes, that asshole with the trams-am who nearly hit us when we were going to the park," said Esme. "What about him?"

"I'm going to give this guy the beating that Dad gave him," I chuckled, causing Esme to roll her eyes and laugh.

"You had better," she laughed, shaking her head. "Good luck, Edward."

I climbed into the ring and looked over at my opponent. Chris Cooper was a tall, thin man with dark black hair and beady eyes. He looked over at me and smirked. I gritted my teeth against the mouthpiece in my mouth as the judge rang the bell. He stepped up to me and threw a right hook at me. I blocked him with my left and threw my own right hook into the middle of his face. He stumbled back a few steps, shaking his head. He came back at me again but I ducked and kept moving. He tried to throw a left upper cut but I blocked it and threw several jabs into his gut and face. He fell back onto the mats with a loud thud.

"Winner," announced the referee, holding my hand up. "Nice fight, young man."

"Thank you," I said. I went over and climbed out of the ring.

"Good job, Edward," said Carlisle, squirting some water into my mouth. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I shrugged. "How's Bella doing?"

"She's fine," sighed Carlisle. "Focus on your matches, not on her."

"I am," I mumbled.

"No, you're not, but it's ok," chuckled Carlisle. "Ok, your next match starts in ten so let's get moving."

"Is it normal for him to be fighting in matches so close together?" asked Esme, falling into step with me and Carlisle. Alice, Rose, Renee, and Charlie had moved up to the stands.

"Yes," smiled Carlisle. "He will have four matches today, and then depending on how he does, he will have four or five more tomorrow."

"Oh," mumbled Esme.

"I promise he will be fine, Esme," said Carlisle, grabbing her hand. "I give you my word."

"I believe you," smiled Esme. I rolled my eyes as I looked around. Like I wanted to see my sister making goo-goo eyes at Carlisle.

I stepped into the next ring and looked over at my opponent. Sebastian Martindale had fiery red hair and dark brown eyes. His pale skin was littered with freckles. Once we were both ready, he came at me like a madman. I stepped out of his way and kept moving. He was swinging his arms like crazy but I managed to block nearly everything that he threw at me. We were about halfway through the second round when he started slowly down. I smirked inwardly as I stepped up to him and threw a left then a right. I followed with another left. He fell back onto the mats, hard.

"Winner," announced the referee, once again holding my arm up. "Good match."

"Thanks," I muttered. I climbed out of the ring and let Carlisle take my gloves off.

"Let's re-tape your hands," said Carlisle, cutting off the old tape. "You're doing really good, Edward. Keep your elbows in a little tighter. You did a good job of making him do all the work."

"Thanks," I mumbled, looking around for Bella. "How's she doing?"

"Good," said Carlisle. "Won her first match. Second starts soon."

"Good," I smiled softly.

Carlisle redid my tape and pushed my gloves back onto my hands. I followed him and Esme over to my next ring. Esme was listening to Carlisle as he tried to explain the tournament rules to her. She listened to every word he said like it scripture sent straight from the heavens or something. It was both cute and very nauseating.

My next opponent was a man named Bryce Henson. He was a dark haired man with bright hazel eyes. He had a cocky look on his face like he thought he was everything. I couldn't wait to wipe the shit eating grin off his face. I stepped into the ring and got ready for the start of the match.

Once the judge had rang the bell, Bryce stepped around to his left. I followed his movements. He was a smarter fighter than the first two I had faced but his punches were weaker, lighter than either of theirs. He threw a couple of jabs at me but I managed to block them. I clocked him with an upper cut to the side of his head and he fell back against the ropes before sliding to the ground.

"Winner," declared the referee, holding up my arm. "Good luck, young man."

"Thanks," I said. I climbed back out of the ring.

"Nice job," smiled Carlisle.

"Gee, try not to act so surprised," I mumbled.

"I am," he snorted. "I figured you would be out by now."

"Thanks for having confidence in me," I snapped.

"Don't be a baby," he laughed, leading me to my final ring. "Most fighters don't win their first three matches. It's impressive."

"Whatever," I sighed.

My last opponent of the day was a short, squatty man with light blond hair and blue eyes. His name was Matthew Hatley. I stepped into the ring with him. He was focusing on the ground in front of us. The judge rang the bell and he snapped his head up to me. There was a look in his eye that made it clear to me that he was in this for the kill, so to speak.

He stepped to his side so I followed his actions. His eyes were trained on me. Matthew stepped up to me and threw a short left jab. I blocked it and threw a left upper cut to his jaw. It didn't even phase him. For the next two rounds, we went back and forth throwing jabs, left hooks, uppercuts, gut shots. By the middle of the third round, he was starting to weaken a little, very little. I stepped up and threw a right uppercut followed by a left jab. He stumbled back but didn't fall so I stepped up to him and threw a left roundhouse. I hit him directly on the jaw, spinning him around. He fell back into the ropes before sliding to the ground.

"Winner," yelled the referee. "Nice fight, gentlemen."

"Thanks," I muttered. I went over to Matthew. "Good job, Man."

"Thanks," he said. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks," I sighed. I climbed out of the ring.

"Shit, he got you good. That eye is going to swell like a son of a bitch," muttered Carlisle. He pulled out an ice pack and placed it on my eye. "Hold it on there."

"Where's Bella?" I asked, looking around.

"She's fixing to start her last match, and no, you can't go watch her. She needs to focus on her opponent," explained Carlisle. "We are going to meet them out in the lobby."

"Fine," I sighed.

I followed Carlisle and Esme out to the lobby. Charlie, Rose, and Alice met us out there. Alice and Rose were whispering to each other and looking over at me. I rolled my eyes and looked away. I knew they were talking about me and Bella. Charlie was leaning against the back wall flipping through a magazine.

"So," smiled Esme, coming over to stand next to me.

"So," I echoed.

"You and Bella, huh?" asked Esme.

"Yep," I said.

"How long?" she asked.

"A couple weeks," I mumbled. She inhaled deeply and shook her head.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, softly.

"We weren't ready for people to know yet," I answered honestly, looking over at my sister. "Esme, it's been really hard for Bella to trust me. I didn't want to push her to tell her brothers before she was ready. She needed time."

"Are you in love with her?" asked Esme.

"I don't know," I mumbled, shaking my head. "I just…I don't know, Esme. Do you love him?"

"Who?" asked Esme, blushing.

"You know who," I chuckled softly.

"I don't know what I feel for him," said Esme, shaking her head. "This is new for me, too."

I looked over as the doors opened to the arena. Bella, Jasper, Emmet, and Renee came out. Bella looked up at me and smiled as she ran over and jumped into my arms. Besides a bruise on her jaw and the beginning of a black eyes, she didn't have a mark on her.

"I'm taking it your matches went good," I laughed, wrapping my arms around her

"Yep," smirked Bella. "I beat their asses. How did your matches go?"

"I beat some asses too," I smiled. I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, softly.

"Ok, that's enough," grumbled Emmett. "Let's get back to the hotel so you two can change before we head to dinner."

Bella and I laughed as Emmett and Jasper dragged a laughing Rose and Alice out of the building. I held Bella's hand tightly in mine as we headed out after them. A few minutes later, we pulled up in front of the hotel. Bella and I ran straight in and jumped in the elevator before they could catch up. I kissed her several times on the trip up.

Once the doors opened, we headed into our own rooms. I quickly showered and dried off. My eye was starting to swell and bruise but other wise, I didn't look too bad. I quickly pulled on my jeans, Black Sabbath t-shirt, and black leather boots. I headed out into the hall to wait for Bella.

A few minutes later, she and Esme came out of their room. Both of their eyes were a little red, like they had been crying. Esme smiled at me as she headed down the hallway to the elevator. Bella laid her head on my chest and sighed contently.

"You ok, Baby?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her.

"Yeah," she whispered. She leaned up and pressed her lips to mine. "I'm great."

"You sure?" I asked. "You look like you've been crying."

"I'm sure," she smiled. "Esme and I had the talk."

"Oh, the talk, huh?" I grimaced. "Can't say I'm too surprised."

"She was just worried about you, Edward," said Bella.

"I know," I sighed. "You ready to head down for dinner?"

"No," laughed Bella. "Everyone is going to be all over us demanding details."

"True, but we have to face them sooner or later," I smiled. "We're doing it together. Besides, I think we could take them."

"Me too," snickered Bella, pulling away from me. She molded her hand around mine. "Ok, let's go."

I chuckled softly as Bella and I headed down to the elevator. We stepped off in the lobby and everyone looked over at us. Just based on the looks on Emmett and Jasper's faces, this was going to be one hell of a long night.


	19. Chapter 19

19

**BPOV**

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" asked Esme.

"I guess," I whispered, going over and sitting on my bed. For a moment neither of us said anything. "Um, were you going to talk or…"

"Yes," she smiled. She turned on her bed so she was facing me. "Bella, I owe you an apology."

"Why?" I asked, surprised.

"Because I didn't want you and Edward to be friends," she said, honestly.

"Oh," I whispered, looking down at the floor. I really wasn't sure what else to say right now.

"But I was wrong, Bella," she said. I looked up at her. "I'm very protective of my little brother, Bella. I spent ten years wishing that my parents would give me a brother or sister. When he was born, I made a promise to him that I would always take care of him. Being an army brat is not an easy life and I've tried to make that as easy for him as I could but there was only so much I could do. Edward learned a long time ago, as did I, not to get too attached to people because it only ends up in heartache. I guess that maybe, I thought that if he was friends with you that he wouldn't need me anymore," she said, letting her tears fall. She shook her head and wiped them off. "I'm sorry, I thought I could do this without getting emotional."

"It's ok," I whispered, bringing my knees up to my chest. "I could never take your place with Edward, Esme."

"I know that," she smiled. "I should have seen that you two were more than friends before now."

"So you're ok with us being together?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, still smiling. "But I don't want him to get hurt, Bella. I don't know what your story is, and it's none of my business, but Edward is. He cares about you a lot."

"I care about him too," I whispered, through my tears. I laid my head on my knees. "I, um, I don't let many people in but I couldn't help but let him in. Trust me, I tried but he's kind of pushy."

"Bella, I know that you have a lot of…issues, or whatever," said Esme, moving over to my bed. She slowly reached out and grabbed my hand. I looked up at her as I let a tear spill from my eye, down my cheek. "But I want you to know that if you ever need anyone to talk to, about anything, that I am here for you."

"I'll remember that," I cried, softly. "Sometimes, I get tired of being around the boys."

"I'm sure you do," chuckled Esme. I wiped my tears off my face as I looked back up at her.

"Do you love him?" I asked.

"Who?" she asked, looking at the floor.

"Carlisle," I whispered. Esme smiled and looked back up at me.

"I don't know," she said. "I like him, a lot, but I don't know about love."

"Esme, Carlisle is…" I trailed off, taking a deep breath. "He gave up a lot for me. He never complains, at least to me. But I…"

"I won't hurt him, either," she smiled, letting my hand go. "I've never…I've never felt like this, Bella. He makes me smile and laugh. He makes me feel…"

"Happy, safe, like you can do anything?" I asked, smiling at her.

"Yes," she giggled.

"Edward makes me feel like that too," I whispered. "I don't feel crazy with him."

"I'm glad," whispered Esme. She stood up and went over to the mirror. "Wow, I look like shit. Well, we had better go and get this over with."

"Ok," I said, softly.

I followed Esme out in the hall and found Edward leaning against the wall. He was tugging at the hem of his t-shirt, nervously. I shared a look with Esme as she walked past him down to the elevator. I went over and laid my head on his chest, sighing contently.

"You ok, Baby?" Edward asked, wrapping his arms around me.

"Yeah," I whispered. I leaned up and pressed my lips to his. "I'm great."

"You sure?" Edward asked, frowning. "You look like you've been crying."

"I'm sure," I smiled. "Esme and I had the talk."

"Oh, the talk, huh?" He grimaced. "Can't say I'm too surprised."

"She was just worried about you, Edward," I said.

"I know," sighed Edward. "You ready to head down for dinner?"

"No," I laughed. "Everyone is going to be all over us demanding details."

"True, but we have to face them sooner or later," Edward smiled. "We're doing it together. Besides, I think we could take them."

"Me too," I snickered, pulling away from him. I molded my hand around his. "Ok, let's go."

Edward chuckled softly as we headed down to the elevator. We stepped off in the lobby and everyone looked over at us. Just based on the looks on Emmett and Jasper's faces, this was going to be one hell of a long night. I rolled my eyes as I pulled Edward over to them.

"Look, we will give you the chance to voice your opinion but you should know that it doesn't matter. Edward and I are together, end of story," I growled at my brothers.

"We'll see about that," muttered Emmett. "Let's go."

Edward held my hand tighter in his as we followed them out to the cars. We slid into the back seat of Carlisle's car while they climbed into the front. Neither of them said anything as we followed Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Charlie, and Renee to a local pizza joint. After working as hard as we had today, we both needed to replenish some carbs and pizza would be the just the thing. Edward and I followed Carlisle and Esme into the crowded pizza joint with our hands intertwined together.

"Baby Cullen!" yelled James. I snapped my head to my left and saw him and Vic sitting at a big table in the back. He looked down at mine and Edward's hands and smirked as he shared a look with his fiancée.

"James, stop yelling," I hissed as we followed the rest of our family over and joined them.

"Baby Cullen, are you shacking up with the boy?" asked James, motioning to Edward.

"Shut the fuck up, James," I muttered, sitting down next to Edward. "We are seeing each other, you ass."

"Hmm," snorted James, looking around at my brothers.

Emmett, Jasper, and Charlie were all scowling. Carlisle had his arm on the back of Esme's chair. Rose and Alice were sitting on either side of Emmett and Jasper. Both of them were smiling as they looked from me to Edward. They were enjoying this way too much. Oddly, Renee was also smiling as she looked at us. It was kind of creepy.

"Well, maybe we should go," snickered James, sharing a look with Vic.

"Nonsense," muttered Jasper, staring right at me. "You are practically family, James. Bella would love to get your opinion on this, too."

"No, I wouldn't," I said.

"Sure you would, Bell," growled Emmett, trying to stare me down. I kept my eyes locked on his until he cursed under his breath and turned away.

"Welcome to La Bella Pizza, what can I get you to drink?" asked our waitress. Her nametag said her name was Kay.

"Water," muttered everyone but me and Edward.

"Coke," I said.

"Same for me," replied Edward, tightening his grip on my hand.

"Do you know what kind of pizza you want?" asked Kay.

"We'll take four larges, pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, and supreme," said Carlisle, looking up at her.

"I'll have them right out," smiled Kay.

No one said anything until after Kay brought our drinks out. James and Vic were enjoying the stare down I was having with Emmett and Jasper. I bit back several curse words that wanted to be let out and struggled not to give them both a series of hand gestures. Finally, after several minutes of just staring at me, one of them spoke.

"It ends now," growled Emmett.

"No, it doesn't," I said. His jaw tightened and he narrowed his eyes as he looked over at Edward.

"Boy, it ends now," he repeated.

"No, it doesn't," echoed Edward, calmly. "I understand-"

"You understand nothing," seethed Jasper. Alice placed her hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him down but he shrugged it off. Wrong move.

"Jasper, calm down," muttered Alice. Her tone was deadly. Jasper turned to glare at her but his icy expression melted as soon as he saw the look in her face. _Sucker_. "Let them explain before you go all ape shit on them."

"There is nothing to explain," mumbled Jasper. "She's not ready for…anything."

"That's not your choice," I said. Jasper sighed as he looked back over at me.

"Considering everything we've done for you over the last couple years, I would say I get a word in the matter," he said, harshly. I turned and looked away, guilt washing over my for everything my brothers had done for me. "Bella, look at me."

"No," I sighed, keeping my eyes locked on a picture on the wall. "I know that all of you have sacrificed a lot for me. I know that I've…but I…"

"Bella, please, look at me," said Jasper. I looked back over at him. His expression was much softer. "You've been through so much. How can you be sure that you are ready for a relationship?"

"I don't know," I said, feeling very uncomfortable with everyone looking at me. Edward slipped his hand out of mine and moved it around my shoulder. I looked up at him.

"It's ok," he whispered, just loud enough for me to hear.

"He makes me feel safe, Jas," I said, keeping my eyes locked on Edward's. "When I'm with Edward, I don't feel like I'm losing it. I don't feel crazy anymore."

"You're not crazy," murmured Edward, leaning his forehead down on mine. "She makes me feel like it's ok to be myself. She makes me feel like it's ok to let people in. I've never had a friend, besides Esme, before. I care about her so much."

"I care about you, too," I whispered, a tear slipping down my face. I quickly wiped away as I looked over at my brothers. All three of there were watching me with awed looks on their faces. "Look, I know it seems sudden and rushed but I need him."

"Are you in love, Baby Cullen?" asked James. I coughed as I looked over at him.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you in love with the boy here?" he asked, smiling at me and Edward. I blushed as I looked up at Edward, who was also bright red.

"I don't know," I muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

"Boy, are you in love with Baby Cullen?" asked James.

"I don't know," admitted Edward, tightening his arm around my shoulders. "I care about Bella, a lot more than I ever thought I could care about someone. I don't ever want to lose her, not only as my girlfriend but as my best friend either."

"I don't want to lose you, either," I murmured, staring him in the eye.

"Fuck," muttered Emmett. I tore my eyes away from Edward's and looked over at Emmett. He was watching me and Edward with an irritated look on his face but his eyes were kind and gentle. "I don't like it but I guess it's ok."

"Thank you, Em," I said, smiling at him. I looked over at Jasper, who was glaring at Edward. "Jas."

"Bell," he whispered, shaking his head as he looked from Edward to me. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes," I smiled.

"Fine," he said. He looked back over at Edward. "Hurt my sister and I will kill you."

"I'll help," growled Emmett.

"Me too," piped up Charlie. All of us snapped our heads over to him. He was glaring at Edward. "I don't like it at all but it's not my place to tell Bella, or anyone, what to do. But know this kid, if you hurt my little sister, I will gut you like fish."

"I won't hurt her," said Edward.

"I hope not," muttered Charlie. I gave him a soft smile. My brother in law had never really made a stand for me, or anyone for the matter.

"Well, I guess that ends that," chuckled Carlisle. "Now, how were your matches?"

We spent the next couple hours rehashing every moment of our matches. I was impressed with the way Carlisle described Edward's matches. I knew he was an amazing fighter but I also knew he was really nervous. By the end of the night, I was sitting with my head on Edward's shoulder while he leaned his head down on mine. It was the most relaxed I had felt in a very long time.

"We should get them back to the hotel before they fall asleep at the table," smiled Renee, standing up.

We paid our bill and headed outside to our cars, saying goodnight to James and Vic. The car ride back to the hotel was quiet, peaceful. I was almost asleep when Carlisle pulled his car into the parking space. WE climbed out and headed inside the hotel. Renee grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the elevator with her, leaving the others behind.

"You really like him, don't you?" asked Renee.

"Yes," I mumbled. "A lot."

"I can tell," she smiled. I looked up at her. "I know that I'm difficult, Bell. It hasn't been easy for me, either. I'm not like you and the boys. I don't really like fighting but I missed you, a lot."

"I missed you, too, Ren," I whispered, looking down at my feet.

"Well, maybe, you and I could hang out sometime soon," suggested Renee as the elevator doors opened.

"Sure," I smiled. "As long as you aren't a bitch."

"I'll try not to be," snorted Renee, shaking her head. We walked down the hall to her room. She turned and looked back at me. "Mom and Dad would have loved to watched you fight today. You beautiful out there."

"You think so?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Yeah," she said. "Although, you need to keep your elbows a little tighter tomorrow. They are going to clean your clock if you don't."

"I know," I muttered, shaking my head.

"Get some rest, Bell," smiled Renee as everyone caught up with us.

"I will," I smiled. "Goodnight, Ren."

Renee smiled at me as she pulled Charlie into their room. My brothers all looked from Renee back to me before they headed into their rooms. Edward pulled me into his arms and gently pressed his lips down to mine. I sighed into his lips and kissed him back.

"Goodnight, Bella," murmured Edward.

"Goodnight, Edward," I whispered.

I kissed him once more before I turned and went into the room I shared with Esme. I pulled out my pajamas and went into the bathroom and quickly changed. I climbed into my bed and pulled on my iPod, setting it to my Glee play list. As Esme turned off the light and climbed into her bed, I smiled to myself. I think I was falling in love with Edward. For some reason, I wasn't scared.


	20. Chapter 20

20

EPOV

I woke up the next morning feeling sore but energized. Winning my four matches yesterday left me with a feeling of euphoria that I had never felt before. Well, except for when I was with Bella. Every time she was near me, I felt the same thing, only it was better. I won't even get started on how amazing it feels to kiss her.

I slid off the bed, ignoring Carlisle's snores, and headed into the bathroom. I took a hot shower to try to relax my muscles. I was so sure that yesterday I was going to be knocked out early in this double elimination tournament so making it to the final day was great. Even better, was knowing that I had her brothers' approval to keep seeing Bella, not that I needed it. I wasn't going to let Bella go regardless if they approved or not but it certainly did help.

I climbed out of the shower, wincing slightly as I dried my face. The bruising around my eye was tender. I would have to be careful today. I quickly finished drying off and pulled on my clothes for the day, a pair of black and red boxing shorts and a black t-shirt. I ran my fingers through my hair before I went back out into the room. Carlisle nodded at me before he headed into the bathroom. I slipped my shoes on and went out into the hall.

Just like yesterday morning, Bella was sitting on the floor with her iPod on. She was dressed for the day in a matching pair of black and red shorts and t-shirt, only hers was long sleeve. I knew this was an effort to hide the scratches on her arms. I slid down onto the floor next to her and pulled out one of her ear buds, placing it in my ear. Bella smiled as she slid her hand in with mine, interlocking our fingers. She laid her head on my shoulder as we listened to her music. This mornings choice was a collection of Journey's biggest hits. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander.

"_Edward, come on," laughed Esme, dragging me off the couch. "Dance with me."_

"_No," I whined, pulling away from her. _

"_You need to practice before the big dance," sighed Esme. This is your first junior high dance, Edward. Don't you want to impress the girls?"_

"_What's the point, Esme?" I asked, looking down at my feet. "It's not like any of the girls would dance with me even if I did know how to. We've only lived here for a week."_

"_So you'll knock there socks off with your stellar moves," she laughed. She lifted my chin up so I had to look at her. "Besides, this would be a good way to make a friend."_

"_What's the point of friends when I'm just going to have to leave them in a few months?" I asked, sadly. Esme sighed and knelt down in front of me._

"_I know it's hard, little brother, but it will be ok," she said, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Now, why don't I teach you to dance so I have someone to dance with?"_

"_Esme, are you ever going to leave me?" I asked._

"_Edward, you are stuck with me, dude," smiled Esme. "Besides, you're my best friend."_

"_I am?" I asked._

"_Of course you are," she laughed, holding her out to me. "Dance with me?"_

"_Ok," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Just so you will stop asking."_

I was shaken out of my thoughts when I heard the door to mine and Carlisle's room open. I looked up to see him coming out with his luggage.

"Grab your stuff, we need to head back to Forks tonight," he said, walking past me and Bella. "And hurry. We don't want to be late."

"Hmm, guess he's back to being a hard ass," I muttered.

"No, he's in trainer mode," laughed Bella, standing up. "He's expecting you to kick some major ass today."

"As long as there is no pressure," I snorted, letting Bella pull me to my feet. She leaned up and kissed me softly.

"Just relax, keep your feet moving, and have fun," she smiled, a big beautiful smile.

"You too," I whispered, leaning down and pressing my lips to hers.

Bella moaned and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down to her. She grazed my bottom lip with her tongue asking for entrance into my mouth. I eagerly accepted her tongue, using my own to explore her mouth thoroughly. Bella slid her fingers up and buried them in my hair as she deepened the kiss.

"Oh, man, stop it," growled Emmett. Bella pulled her lips away from mine as we looked over and saw Emmett, Jasper, Rose, Alice, Esme, Charlie, and Renee watching us. The men had scowls on their faces while the women were fighting their smiles, even Renee. "We don't need to watch you two suck face all the time. We get that you are together but have some class."

"Em, are you lecturing me on class?" asked Bella, stepping toward her older, much bigger brother.

"Yes," he smirked.

"Do I need to remind you about that summer at the lake?" asked Bella, narrowing her beautiful eyes at him. His eyes flew open as his mouth dropped.

"You little bitch," he gasp.

"That's what I thought," smirked Bella. "Now, leave us alone or I will make sure Rose knows all about it, Em."

"Fine," gritted Emmett, shaking his head. "You're kind of evil, Bell."

"Thanks, Em," smiled Bella. "Mom taught me well."

"Suppose she did," he muttered. Rose was glaring at him. "What?"

"Need to tell me something?" she asked, heatedly.

"No," he muttered, blushing a bright shade of red. "We should go."

Emmett picked up his and Rose's bags and headed down to the elevator. She followed him but was throwing questions at him left and right. Esme, Charlie, and Renee followed them laughing at the two of them. It was the first time I had seen either of them smile much less laugh in the few weeks that I had known them. Jasper laughed as he came over to me and Bella.

"You really are kind of evil, Bell," smiled Jasper. He looked over at me. "I hope you never get on her bad side."

"Me too," I said, honestly.

"Hurry, we need to go," chuckled Jasper, shaking his head. He grabbed his and Alice's luggage and headed down to the elevator, with Alice following.

"Are you going to tell me about the lake?" I asked, looking back at Bella.

"It's not really that big of a deal. See, the year before my parents died, we all went on a vacation down to this lake. My parents owned a cabin on the lake and with the boys and Renee being away at school, we hadn't really been together much. We had been there for three days when I went into the house to use the bathroom. Well, the door was cracked open so I assumed that nobody was in there. I pushed the door open and found Emmett inside, jerking off to a picture of Rose," I laughed. "He swore that it was the first time and he was curious but I wasn't convinced. He made me swear never to tell a sole and I haven't, but I like to hold it over his head."

"Hmm," I laughed. "I really don't want to get on your bad side, Baby."

"No, you really don't," she smirked, kissing me again. "Let's go before they start throwing another fit."

Bella and I quickly grabbed our luggage and headed down to the lobby. Emmett was glaring at Bella as we headed over and handed Carlisle the keys to our rooms. We loaded everything into the cars and headed back down to the Arena for day two of our tournament.

We headed inside and I felt Bella tense up, slightly. I looked over at her and saw her eyes flittering around everywhere. I knew she was looking for any signs of Aro Volturi. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close to my body as I leaned down to her ear.

"He's not here," I whispered. "Just calm down, relax, keep your feet moving, and have fun. You're parents would be so proud of you right now."

"I know," she whispered, looking up at me. "Thank you for reminding me, though."

"Ok, so lets get you guys to your first matches," said Carlisle, turning to the two of us. He stepped up to the two of us and placed one hand on each of our shoulders. "Look, no matter what happens today, we are all proud of you. You both came out yesterday fighting. Regardless if you win today or not, we will be proud of you. Just have fun, ok?"

"Ok," muttered me and Bella. He nodded his head as he moved his hands.

"Now, let's go."

I kissed Bella once more before I followed him and Esme into the large arena for the second day. Today there were only five rings set up in the room. I tried to focus on just moving my feet as I walked through the thirty or so fighters that were waiting for their matches to start. Most of them were from other weight classes. My weight class had been narrowed down to ten fighters. I would have to beat three of them to get to the championship match.

"Ok, let's get your hands taped," said Carlisle, dropping my bag next to my first ring of the day. I held my hands out in front of me. "I want you to work on moving your feet a little more today. Keep your arms up, protect yourself."

"Ok," I murmured. Carlisle finished wrapping my hands and looked up at me.

"Hey, you'll be fine," he said, patting my shoulder. "Just relax."

"I'm trying," I whispered, closing my eyes.

Carlisle pushed my gloves on and taped them up, making sure they were tight but not too tight. He placed my headgear on and popped my mouthpiece into my mouth. I turned and looked at Esme, winking at her, before I climbed into the ring and turned to my first opponent of the day.

Max Carson was a tall, gangly boy with freckles, dark brown hair and eyes. He had a good foot over me. We bumped our gloves together before we went back into our own corners. The judges rang the bell and I watched for him to make the first move. Max stepped to the right so I mirrored his actions. He came at me with uppercut from the left followed by a right jab. I was able to block both before I threw a right handed roundhouse to the side of his head. He staggered back a couple steps but came right back at me.

I kept my feet moving, making him chase me around the ring. He kept trying to throw combinations at me but I managed to block most of them. By the start of the third round, he was sagging and his punches weren't even half as hard. I took a deep breath and went on the offensive. I threw my left hook followed by my right tab. He stumbled back into the ropes but didn't go down so I stepped up to him and threw a right roundhouse. He grunted before he fell to the mat.

"Winner," announced the referee. "Nice match, young man."

"Thanks," I muttered. I climbed out of the ring and spit out my mouth piece into the bowl Carlisle was holding.

"That was much better on blocking, Edward," he said, thrusting a water bottle in my face. "Drink."

"Bella?" I asked, after he pulled the bottle away from my mouth.

"Won her first, fixing to start her second," replied Carlisle, gathering our stuff. "Let's go, your next match starts in ten."

I followed Carlisle around to another ring. I tried to see Bella but he pulled my face towards him. Popping my mouth piece back into my mouth, he pushed me toward my ring. I rolled my eyes as I climbed in and settled in my corner. My opponent for this match was a solid looking boy with blond hair and dark blue eyes. His name was Randall Murphy.

Randall met me in the middle and growled as he bumped my gloves with his. I suppose it was a move to intimidate me but it just annoyed me. We went back to our corners and the judge rang the bell. I swear I saw Randall smirk as he came at me, throwing the meat sticks he called arms at me. I ducked as I got in a gut shot. He groaned and turned around just in time to see my right hook come at him. I followed with a left hook, a right jab, and a left roundhouse, just for good measure. Randall slammed back into the ring and slid to the ground with a groan.

"Winner!" yelled the Referee, holding my arm up. "Good job, kid."

"Thanks," I said. I climbed out of the ring and spit out my mouth piece.

"Hmm, so much for conserving energy," snorted Carlisle.

"He growled at me," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Then he smirked."

"It's fine. With the way he was throwing his arms, he would have been out of it by the end of the round anyway," chuckled Carlisle. "Ok, win the next match and you automatically go into the championship round."

"If I don't?" I asked, wiping my face with a towel.

"Then you have to fight more to get there so just win it now," he said.

"Ok, let's do this," I muttered.

I headed back into the ring and looked at my next opponent. Cody Rice was a dark haired boy with bright eyes. He was tapping his foot on the mat as he listened to whatever his trainer was telling him. He nodded his head and looked up at me. His eyes were hard, focused. This was going to be quite the match up.

We bumped gloves and headed back into our corners. Carlisle popped my mouthpiece back into my mouth just before the judge rang the bell. Cody stepped to his left so I followed his actions. He took a couple more steps before he came in and threw a couple jabs. I blocked them and threw a roundhouse, which he blocked. He countered with a right hook/left jab combinations that slammed into my nose, causing my nose to burn and my eyes to water a little. I shook it off and threw my left glove into his face, followed by a gut shot. He stumbled back a couple steps but I didn't give him the chance to react. I threw my right hook followed but my left. Pushing him against the ropes, I pummeled him with my fists, hitting him over and over.

"Back to your corner," ordered the referee, pulling me back. I stepped back to my corner while he knelt down next to Cody, who was slouched down on the mats. The referee accessed his condition before he came over and grabbed my arm. "Winner, good match, young man."

"Thanks," I muttered. I climbed out of the ring and pit out my mouth piece.

"That nose looks like shit," grimaced Carlisle, pulling off my headgear. "He got you good."

"He's strong," I said, wincing as Carlisle pressed on my nose. "I had to get him down early."

"You did good," mumbled Carlisle. "Following your instincts. That's good."

"Here's some water," whispered Esme, thrusting a bottle of water in my hands after Carlisle pulled off my gloves. I looked over at Esme as I took a sip. She was shaking slightly.

"Esme, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, smiling softly. "It's just really hard to watch you fight like that."

"Oh," I muttered.

"You're doing great, Edward," smiled Esme. "Just you're my baby brother. I don't like watching people hit you. That's my job."

"Oh, Esme, you can hit me later," I snorted, hugging my older sister.

"Eww, you're all sweaty," she laughed, pushing me away.

"Ok, Edward," laughed Carlisle, shaking his head at me and my older sister. "You have an hour until the championship round. I want you to sit down and rest."

"Can I watch Bella?" I asked, following him.

"As long as your ass is sitting," he said, leading me over to her ring. Bella was just getting in as Carlisle looked back at me. "Don't distract her."

"I won't," I said, putting my hands up.

I found a bench about ten feet from her ring and took a seat with Esme. Bella looked over at me and smiled around her mouthpiece before she turned back to her opponent. The judge rang the bell and Bella slowly started moving around the ring. I could see the focus all over her face. She wasn't going to let me or anything distract her from what was in front of her. The girl she was fighting tried to throw a jab at Bella but she blocked it and countered with her own jab. The girl stumbled backwards and Bella's eyes narrowed as she pounced on the poor girl.

Bella threw a right hook followed by an left uppercut. Over and over she pounded into the girl at the other end of her gloves. The girl was able to push Bella away long enough to regroup but Bella was ready for the kill, so to speak. I sat there on the bench, watching Bella taking it to the girl in the ring with her. The pose, the grace, the sheer intensity around her was pulling other fighters over to watch her. Bella slammed her gloved right hand into the side of the girls head, spinning her around as she collapsed onto the mat with a loud thud.

Bella looked up at me, panting as she tried to catch her breath. In this moment, I knew I was in love with Bella.


	21. Chapter 21

21

Bella climbed out of her ring and ran over to me, pausing just long enough for Carlisle to pull her gloves off and take out her mouth piece. She jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around me and leaned her forehead against mine.

"Did you make it to the championships?" she asked.

"Yep," I smiled.

"Oh my god, Edward," laughed Bella. "That's fucking awesome."

"Thank you," I chuckled. She smiled as she put her feet back on the ground.

"You're nose looks like crap, though," she said. "Is it broken?"

"No, pretty sure it's fine," I shrugged.

"Ok, so we have about half an hour until Edward's match starts and an hour till Bella," said Carlisle, pulling us out of our private moment. "We need to get them re-taped."

"They should eat an energy bar," said Jasper, digging around in Carlisle's bag. "Keep their energy up."

"Good idea," muttered Carlisle, shoving the bars into mine and Bella's hands. "Sit. Eat. Rest."

"Yes, Captain Asshole," muttered Bella, rolling her eyes.

Carlisle ignored her sarcasm as he, Jasper, and Emmett started talking strategy. Bella and I took our seats on the bench and ate our energy bars, that tasted more like cardboard than the raspberry they claimed. Bella leaned her head on my shoulder while we watched some of the other weight classes complete.

I slipped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer to me. It was amazing how as soon as she was next to me, I felt happier. Inwardly, I shook my head. I sounded like some kind of lovesick fool. Maybe I was one. I felt Bella sigh and looked down at her. She had a soft smile playing on her lips and her eyes closed. She was absolutely beautiful.

"Ok, Edward, let's get you taped," said Carlisle, interrupting out quiet moment. Bella sighed and moved away from me.

"Ok," I sighed, smiling at her. I stuck my hands out in front of me. "Who am I fighting?"

"A boy named Jalen White. He's pretty good, decent right hook, killer roundhouse. Stay to his left, it's his weaker side," said Emmett.

"Keep your feet moving," ordered Jasper, fitting my headgear on. "Don't let him push you into the ropes or you will be toast."

"Conserve as much as energy as you can. Make him do the work," said Carlisle, shoving my gloves onto my hands. He placed his hands on my shoulders. "You can beat this guy, Edward. Just focus and have fun."

"Ok," I muttered, taking a deep breath. I stood up and stretched.

"Edward," whispered Bella. I turned and looked at her as she stood up. She leaned up and pressed her lips to mine. "Kick his ass."

"On it," I whispered.

I kissed her once more before I popped my mouth piece into my mouth and stepped into the ring. Jalen White was a gangly looking boy with dark skin and eyes. He was maybe an inch or two taller than I was. He was stretching his arms behind his back as the referee stepped into the ring, motioning for us to join him.

"Welcome to the championship match, Gentlemen. When you are ready, bump gloves and head back into your corners. Good luck to the both of you."

I nodded my head at the referee before I hit Jalen's gloves with mine. I went back into my corner and looked back at Bella. She was watching me with the most intense look on her face. Her eyes snapped up to mine and she smiled while blushing at the same time. I winked at her before I turned back to my opponent. The judge rang the bell and we stepped toward each other.

Jalen tucked his arms in and stepped to his right. I mirrored his actions, keeping my eyes on his. He narrowed them just slightly before he stepped up to me and threw a left hook. I blocked it and countered with mine own. He stepped back as he threw a right jab. I blocked it but wasn't able to block the roundhouse he followed with.

For the next two rounds, we traded punches. He was strong, his punches stung, but he was lazy. He didn't move his feet and often stumbled around. We were in the middle of the third round when I took advantage of his lazy footwork and threw my right followed by my left. He stumbled back and I moved around him, causing him to trip up and fall into the ropes. Once I had him there, I threw my fists into his gut, arms, and head.

He tried to push me off of him but I planted my feet onto the mat and pinned him to the ropes. He managed to get a couple blows to my gut but I got more on him. Finally the bell rang and I went back to my corner. Jalen stumbled into his corner, letting his coach pull off his head gear.

"You did good, Edward," muttered Carlisle, pulling my headgear off. My hair flopped down against my forehead, dripping with sweat. I spit out my mouth piece. "You did real good."

"Thanks," I said, looking back at Bella. She was watching me with a smile on her face. She took a deep breath as she looked away from me.

"Our judges have made their decision," announced the referee. "Let me say that you both did great job today. Our winner for the Seattle Classic in the light heavy weight men's division is Edward Masen."

I heard Bella screaming as I went over to shake his and Jalen's hands. I thanked them both before I climbed out of the ring. Bella threw herself in my arms and kissed me, hard. I heard several people gasp behind us but I didn't really care. I had Bella in my arms and that was all that mattered to me. She pulled her lips from mine and smiled.

"That was fucking amazing, Edward," whispered Bella, smiling.

"Thank you, Baby," I smiled. I set Bella back onto her feet. "Now it's your turn. You kick some ass."

"I will," winked Bella.

My body shivered as Bella smiled and went over to her brothers. They got her head gear, gloves, and mouthpiece in before she climbed into the ring. As he did during my match, the referee called Bella and her opponent, a dirty blond girl names Aimee Burnett, to the middle of the ring. Bella nodded at Aimee and touched her gloves before she came over to her corner.

She looked back at me and smiled as the judges rang the bell. Bella snapped her head around and pulled all her attention onto her competitor. I barely heard Esme talking to me, telling me how good I did. All I could do was watch as Bella took that girl down.

Aimee made the mistake of coming right at Bella. She threw her right hook but Bella ducked and countered with a jab to the gut. I heard Aimee groan slightly as she stepped back but Bella wasn't going to let her go. Bella stepped up to Aimee and threw her right and left hooks. Over and over, she threw her gloved hands into the girl.

The arena was eerily quiet and I knew that everyone was focusing their attention onto Bella. She had Aimee pushed back into a corner, throwing a left jab then a right. The bell rang and Bella stepped back into her corner. She was breathing heavily as she looked back at me. Her eyes were dark, full of passion and determination.

The judge rang the bell to start the second round and Bella, once again, snapped her head back to her opponent. She didn't even bother holding back this time. Bella stepped right up to Aimee and starting hitting her. The poor girl barely had the time to bring her arms up to even block half the punches Bella was throwing at her. The referee blew his whistle and pushed Bella back into her corner.

"She's fucking amazing," murmured Renee. I shook my head and looked over at her. Renee smiled and looked at me. "She's always been a natural but I've never seen her fight like this."

"Me either," I whispered.

"I wonder what had changed," commented Renee before moving to stand next to Charlie. I turned back to Bella. She was looking right at me. There was a hungry look in her eye.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your winner for the flyweight women's division is Isabella Cullen," announced the referee.

I cheered along with everyone else as Bella went over and thanked him and Aimee. She climbed out of the ring, nearly jumping. Carlisle quickly pulled her gloves and headgear off as Jasper took her mouthpiece. As soon as she was clear she ran over and jumped into my arms, locking her feet around my waist.

Bella smiled as she leaned down and gently pressed her lips to mine. The moment her lips touched mine it was like everyone else disappeared, leaving us in our own private bubble. Bella wove her fingers into my hair, tugging gently as she slipped her tongue into my mouth. I tightened my arms around her, causing us both to moan.

"For fuck sake," grumbled Emmett, pulling Bella away from me. "There are people everywhere."

"That's it," hissed Bella, pushing her brother off of her. She turned and headed up to the where Rose and Alice were sitting.

"Oh shit," muttered Emmett, taking off after her.

I shared a look with Carlisle and Jasper. They both laughed and took off after him. I ran after them while Esme, Renee, and Charlie all looked confused but followed us. Bella stopped in front of Rose and Alice.

"Rose, that summer that we all went to the lake but you couldn't go because you had to work," said Bella. "I caught Emmett in the bathroom jerking off to a picture of you. He was moaning and asking you to suck him harder."

"Fuck," muttered Emmett. Bella turned and smirked at him as Rose, who had turned a bright red, stood up behind her. Alice was nearly hysterical from her stifled laughter.

"Accept that Edward and I are together, dickhead, and that means that we kiss…a lot," smirked Bella.

She grabbed my head and pulled me down the stairs as we heard Rose start yelling at Emmett. Jasper, Carlisle, and Renee were all laughing so hard they had tears running down their faces. I looked over at Bella as we left the arena.

"You are vicious sometimes," I laughed. "But, goddamn it, I love it."

"He should know not to mess with me," sighed Bella, shaking her head. "I'm the youngest of five. My parents taught me all long time along to fight back."

A few minutes later, the others came out. Emmett was muttering under his breath about what a bitch Bella was and how he was going to work everyday at bringing her down. Rose was fuming as she glared at her boyfriend. Everyone else thought it was hilarious but were trying to stifle their laughter but were failing miserably.

"We ready to hit the road?" asked Bella, smiling at her brothers. Emmett glared at her while Carlisle and Jasper nodded their heads.

"Yes," snickered Carlisle.

"Yeah, let's go," snorted Jasper.

"Yeah, cause it sounds like Em has some business to take care of," giggled Renee. We all busted out laughing.

"I will fucking get you back for this, Bell," growled Emmett while Rose stormed out.

"Sure you will, Em," scoffed Bella.

"Rosie, I'm sorry," called Emmett, chasing after her.

"They are going to have a fun car ride," smirked Carlisle. We gathered out stuff and headed out to our cars. Rose climbed into the front seat of Emmett's jeep without saying a word. Alice and Jasper laughed as they climbed into Jasper's car. Renee smiled at me and Bella before she and Charlie climbed into her car.

"So, um, Carlisle is going to take me to dinner," muttered Esme, blushing as she looked up at me. "I won't be home for awhile."

"Ok," I smiled. "Just be careful."

"I will," mumbled Esme, looking back at Carlisle. He smiled as he opened her car door for her. "I'm really going to try to, anyway."

I felt Bella slip her hand into mine as Esme went over and climbed into Carlisle's car. I looked down at her and saw her watching our siblings with a soft smile. Bella looked up at me and, somehow, her smile grew. She leaned up on her toes and kissed me.

"I'm ready to go home," she said.

"Me too," I smiled.

Bella and I climbed into my car and headed out onto the highway. Bella plugged her iPod on and started her Motley Crue play list before she leaned her head on my shoulder. I smiled and wrapped my arm around her. I was definitely in love with this girl. I couldn't help but wonder if she would ever love me back.


	22. Chapter 22

22

I woke up the next morning feeling sore and a little achy. I stumbled into the bathroom and took a hot shower, letting the water beat down on my achy muscles. I quickly showered and dried off. Quickly pulling on my jeans, black t-shirt, and black leather boots, I headed into the kitchen where I found Esme sitting at the kitchen table with a dreamy look on her face.

"I didn't hear you come in last night," I mentioned, pouring myself a bowl of cereal.

"It was late," sighed Esme, smiling to herself.

"Did you have fun?" I asked, sitting across from her.

"Oh my god, I had so much fun, Edward," smiled Esme. "I know you probably don't want to hear about it but it was just…the best date I have ever been on."

"That's great, Esme," I chuckled, shaking my head at my big sister. "Just wait until Mom finds out."

"Don't tell her," threatened Esme.

"Or what?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow at her. Esme smirked as she stood up.

"Or I will tell her all about your girlfriend. Then I will email her the pictures I took of her in your arms after your matches," gloated Esme. My mouth fell open as I stared at her.

"You are such a bitch," I muttered.

"I am, aren't I?" she asked. "You've been warned."

I muttered under my breath as I placed my bowl in the sink. I followed her outside just as Bella pulled up in her mustang. Ignoring the smirk on Esme's face, I climbed into Bella's car. I leaned over and kissed her cheek before Bella headed toward the school.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," I chuckled, shaking my head. "Esme is playing hardball. She's threatening to send my mom pictures of the two of us if I tell my mom about her date with Carlisle."

"Wow, what a bitch," snorted Bella. "Carlisle was in a really good mood this morning. It was kind of gross."

"So was Esme," I said, smiling. I looked back over at Bella as she pulled her car up into her parking space at school. "So now that they know about us, does that mean we can be an us here at school, too?"

"I guess," whispered Bella, biting her lip.

"If you aren't ready, I'll understand," I said, grabbing her hand. She looked over at me and smiled.

"It's not that," smiled Bella. "I just…I just don't want to be real….mushy or anything."

"Ok, so I won't ravage you against the lockers," I smiled. Bella laughed and leaned into me. "I get it. It's ok. I just want to be able to hold your hand."

"That's fine," she whispered, softly pressing her lips to mine. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I murmured.

Bella and I climbed out of her car. I slipped my hand in with hers as we slowly made our way into school. As we did, everyone would stop and stare at us. I could hear them whispering but I wasn't sure why. It's not like we don't usually come to school together. We stopped by our lockers and grabbed our books for our morning classes.

"I'll see you at lunch, ok?"

"Ok," whispered Bella.

I turned and headed down to my first period English class. As I took my seat, I could feel my classmates eyes on me. I swear it was starting to feel like my first day of school all over again. Jessica came in and took her seat next to me. She looked over at me and choked as she gasped, quite loudly.

"Morning class," said Mrs. Owens, coming into the room. She smiled as she looked around at everyone. Her eyes landed on me and widened. "Um, let's open our books to page fifty-two."

Mrs. Owens looked back at me again before she started her lesson. I couldn't understand what the fuck was going on with everyone. Why all the sudden was I so intersecting to everyone again? The bell finally rang ending class. Mrs. Owens looked back over at me before she darted out of the class. I sat there for a moment while everyone left. This had to be one of the weirdest days I had had here so far.

Sighing inwardly, I climbed out of my desk and headed out into the hallway. I saw Jessica whispering furiously to Lauren. They both looked up at me as I came out. I swear they both smirked before heading down the hallway. What were those bitches up to now? I headed down to my second period history class, trying my hardest to ignore the looks, whispers, snickers, that seemed to follow me down the hallway.

I went inside and took my seat next to Ben. He looked up at me and smiled but then suddenly narrowed his eyes at me.

"What the fuck happened to you?" he growled.

"Mr. Cheney, language," sighed Mr. Taylor.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm talking about the fucking bruises on your face, Edward," hissed Ben.

"Mr. Cheney, that's it," snapped Mr. Taylor, standing up. "Why don't you go see Ms. Masen since you can't seem to keep your language under control."

"Fine," muttered Ben, grabbing his stuff. He looked back at me. "You had better be prepared to fucking answer me at lunch."

"NOW, MR. CHENEY," yelled Mr. Taylor.

Ben stormed out of the classroom, ignoring the exasperated look on Mr. Taylor's face. I closed my eyes and mentally smacked myself. I had completely forgotten about the bruises on my face from the tournament. No wonder everyone was staring at me and Bella. They probably thought I was beating her or vice versa.

I barely heard a word Mr. Taylor said through out his lesson. As soon as the bell rang, I was out of my seat and in search of Bella. I found her coming out of Mrs. Owens' class, looking pissed off. I grabbed her arm and pulled her into a corner.

"Do you realize that people think we've been beating each other?" I whispered.

"Yeah, I figured as much when Kate and Angela threatened to cut off you dick for me," muttered Bella. My mouth fell open and my eyes widen. "But I told them to fuck off and leave me alone."

"Gee, thanks," I mumbled, darkly.

"Hey, it's going to be ok," whispered Bella, placing her hand on my chest, fisting my shirt in her hand.

"I know," I whispered. "I just don't want people thinking that I hurt you or you me."

"We know the truth," smiled Bella. "That's all that matters right?"

"Right," I said, returning her smile. The bell rang and I sighed. "I guess I'll see you at lunch."

"Ok," she murmured.

Looking around to make sure nobody was around, I leaned down and gently kissed her. Bella smiled as she let go of my shirt and playfully pushed me away. I chuckled to myself as I headed down to my next class. Apologizing to Mrs. Goff, I took my seat and ignored the stares from my fellow classmates.

By the time lunch arrived, I had been gawked at, whispered about, and pointed out. It was annoying and getting old fast. I stopped at my locker and tossed my books inside before heading down to the cafeteria. I found Bella waiting for me outside the double doors. She looked up at me and a small smile played on her lips.

"You ready for this?" she asked.

"No," I laughed. "But let's get it done with, shall we?"

"Yes," sighed Bella.

She turned and threw the double doors open, slamming them against the wall as she walked in. I chuckled to myself as I followed her inside. Everyone stopped talking and looked up at us. Neither Bella nor I paid them much attention as we walked across the cafeteria. We headed out to where Ben, Angela, Garrett, and Kate were sitting, arms folded across their chests, glares firmly planted on their faces. I stopped in the door way and looked back at everyone.

"Enjoy your lunch," I yelled, winking. I turned back to Bella, who was laughing under her breath. "So how was class?"

"It was entertaining," said Bella as we took our usual seats at our table.

"What the fuck is going on?" growled Ben, looking from me to Bella. Garrett was cracking his knuckles while Kate and Angela glared at me.

"She smarted off one too many times," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Bella bit back her laughter as she turned into me. "Guess she learned her lesson."

"You son of a bitch," hissed Angela, lunging at me. Bella and I busted out laughing as Ben pulled her back.

"You think this is fucking funny," snapped, Ben, pushing Angela back into her seat.

"Yes," we said together.

"I should kick your ass just to wipe that fucking smirk off your face," growled Garrett.

"Ok, everyone calm the fuck down," laughed Bella, shaking her head. "Edward and I competed in a boxing tournament in Seattle this weekend."

"What?" asked Ben, falling into his seat. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," I said, rolling my eyes. "I can't believe you would actually think I would hit her."

"What were we supposed to be to think?" grumbled Angela. "The two of you come in here looking like you went a round or two in mortal combat."

"Why didn't you tell us you boxed?" asked Garrett, looking from me to Bella.

"It wasn't any of your business," I said, slipping my arm onto the back of Bella's chair. Kate gasped as she looked from me to Bella.

"OH MY GOD!" she squealed, bouncing up and down in her chair. "You two are together, aren't you?"

"Shut the fuck up, Kate," growled Bella.

"Aw, isn't that sweet, Jess?" said Lauren from behind us. Bella and I turned and saw her and Jessica standing behind us. "It's so nice to see freaks together."

"Explains the lesbian affair you and Jessie are having," smirked Bella. "Don't worry, Lauren, I won't tell the boys how you like to muff dive."

"You are so funny, Bella," smirked Lauren, pulling out a piece of paper from her back pocket. "I'm sure all your friends at the Arizona State Hospital miss you and your humor. Isn't that where they sent you after you killed your parents?"


	23. Chapter 23

23

The smirk on Lauren's face grew as she laid down the paper in the middle of our lunch table. I could tell it was a newspaper article. The headline read 'LOCAL GIRL FOUND HIDING AFTER PARENTS' MURDER.'

The cafeteria was eerily quiet as everyone stood around watching Lauren and Bella's face off. I looked over at Bella. The look on her face could only be described as murderous. I saw her fist clench up a mere second before she reared back and slammed it into the center of Lauren Mallory's face.

"YOU GODDAMN BITCH," growled Bella, throwing the bitch to the ground.

Jessica made to jump on Bella's back but Angela tackled her, letting her own fists of furies go. Eric Yorkie went to grab Angela causing Ben to launch himself at the fool. Garrett took Tyler down while Kate was helping Angela with Jessica. Mike came at me but I moved and he fell to the ground. He jumped up and threw his fist at me but I blocked him and hit him square in his already broken nose.

"I"LL FUCKING KILL YOU, BITCH!" screeched Bella.

I was too busy beating down on Mike to see what was going on with Bella and Lauren, or anyone else for the matter but if I knew my girl at all, she was taking it to that bitch.

"BREAK IT UP," yelled Mr. Banner, forcing his way through the crowd. I had Mike pinned to the ground as I pummeled him with my fists. "BREAK IT UP NOW!"

Someone grabbed me and pulled me off Mike, who just laid there on the ground and groaned. I looked back to see Mr. Taylor with one hand on me and another on Bella. Mrs. Goff had Angela and Kate and Mr. Banner had pulled Ben and Garrett off of Eric and Tyler. Esme pushed her way through the crowd and looked first at Lauren, Eric, Tyler, Jessica, and Mike, who all were laying on the ground clutching at their broken noses, busted lips, and other cuts, before she looked up at me.

"GET TO MY OFFICE NOW!" snapped Esme.

I grabbed the newspaper article off the table as we were dragged out of the cafeteria through the crowd that had down nothing to help either side of the lunch time brawl. Coach Clapp, Mr. Varner, and Mrs. Owens managed to get the Stepford bitches off the ground and were dragging them behind us. Esme led us through the hallway, down to the office, and into the conference room to the left. She pointed at the seats.

"Sit. Don't speak," she ordered.

Mr. Taylor tossed me into the seat next to Bella, who I could feel shaking with rage. Her eyes were hard as steel. Garrett, Ben, Angela, and Kate took the empty seats to my right while Lauren, Mike, Jessica, Tyler, and Eric took the seats across from us. Our teachers hovered over us, while we stared each other down. Esme came back in a few minutes later with the nurse, who began examining their injuries.

"I want to know what happened right now," growled Esme.

"She attacked me for no reason," snapped Lauren, gesturing to Bella. I slid the newspaper article across the table to Esme.

"Lauren felt the need to bring this up, in front of everyone, of course," I said, harshly, glaring at Lauren. From the corner of my eye, I saw Esme pick up the newspaper article and read it. Her eyes widen as she looked from it to Bella.

"I see," said Esme, sitting down.

I looked over at Bella. She was sitting in her seat with her eyes glued to her hands as she nervously popped her knuckles. I reached for her hand but she pulled it away from me. I sighed and place my hand back onto the table.

"Lauren, would you like to explain why you thought it as ok to bring this matter up?" asked Esme.

To anyone who didn't know my sister, you would think she was calm and collected right now. However, I knew better. I could hear the venom laced in each word, the anger that was brewing under the surface ready to explode at a moments notice.

"I felt it was important for them," said Lauren, gesturing to us, "to know what kind of person Bella really is."

"Like you know her," I muttered.

"Edward," hissed Esme, glaring at me. She turned back to Lauren, who almost looked smug under the bruising that was already starting to form. "So you thought that you were doing them a favor by bringing up a very painful and traumatic event in her life. You know, I've heard a lot about you, Lauren. Not just from Bella and Edward, either. Your need to be validated by bringing down others is old. You are suspended for three days and I suggest you use those three days to think about how you would feel if you were in Bella's shoes."

"That's not fair," whined Lauren. "She hit me."

"You provoked her," snapped Esme, causing Lauren to flinch back. Esme turned to Jessica, Mike, Eric, and Tyler. "The four of you can join her in her three day suspension from this school. I don't tolerate bullies in my school, as I have already made perfectly clear to all of you before. Your parents are with Mrs. Cope. Think about what kind of people you want to be."

Mike, Jessica, Tyler, Eric, and Lauren all got up and headed out into the main room but not before glaring at the six of us. The bell rang causing all of our teacher to have to leave for their afternoon classes. As soon as the doors closed, Esme turned the six of us and sighed.

"Well, I'm not really sure what to say here," said Esme, standing up. She walked around to the other side of the table and sat down. "I respect the fact that you stood up for your fellow classmate and helped her defend herself but I cannot allow fighting in my school. I have no choice but to suspend all of you for three days."

"That's fine," said Angela, standing up. "I'd do it again. I'm about tired of that bitch."

Kate, Ben, and Garrett nodded their heads in agreement and stood up. They looked back at me and Bella, who was still staring at the table, before they walked out of the room. Esme looked back over at Bella and reached for her hand but Bella pulled away.

"Can I go now?" muttered Bella, clenching her hand into a fist.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I had no idea," said Esme, softly.

"I need to go now," whispered Bella. Her voice was shaky, tense. She looked up at me with tears swimming in her eyes. "Edward, I need to go now."

"Esme," I said, without breaking my eyes from Bella's.

"Go to the gym," said Esme.

"No, I can't go there," said Bella, quickly, turning and looking at Esme.

"Bella, I had to call Carlisle," frowned Esme.

"I can't go there," whispered Bella, looking back at me. "You know where I need to go."

"Esme, I promise to be careful, but we need to go, ok?" I asked, looking over at my big sister.

"Ok," said Esme.

I stood up and pulled Bella to her feet. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I led her out of the office, under the watchful glare of Mrs. Cope of course, and out into the hallway. The bell had just rung and everyone was coming out of their fifth period classes. Nearly everyone stopped and stared as us as we made our way down the hallway and out of the building. I led Bella to her car. She slipped the keys into my hand before climbing into the passenger seat. I climbed in behind the wheel and took off down to La Push.

Bella stared out the window as we made the ten minute drive to the reservation. I parked in the same parking space she had just weeks prior. She climbed out and headed down to the beach. Sighing, I slid out of the car and followed her. She sat down in the sand, once again slipping her shoes and socks off and burying her feet in the sand. I sat down next to her with my knees bent.

"When I was seven, I fell out of a tree and broke my arm," said Bella, keeping her eyes on the soft waves hitting the shore of the beach. It had started misting making it impossible to tell what were her tears and what was the moisture from the sky. "Emmett, being the as he usually is, had convinced me to climb to the tree. He kept urging me to go higher and higher. I was stupid then, I guess, and listened to everything my big brother told me. I had just climbed onto a branch about half way up when I heard the crack. I froze, not sure if I should move or not. Emmett started screaming at me to get off but I was too scared. My parents came running out of the house just as the branch snapped. I hit several branches on the way down. I hit the ground hard and heard the snap. My father pulled me…into his…arm…"

I pulled Bella into my lap as she started sobbing softly. All I could do for her right now was hold her as tight as I could. All I could think about was keeping the woman I loved as close to me I had never felt so helpless as I did in this moment.

"How did she find out?" whispered Bella, several minutes later. She was clutching my t-shirt in her hand.

"I don't know," I murmured, softly. "I wish I did."

"I hate her," muttered Bella.

"Me too," I whispered.

"Edward?" whispered Bella.

"What?" I asked, leaning my head on hers. Bella doesn't say anything as she turns and looked up at me.

"I…Thank you for being here," she whispered, looking down. I lift her chin up and look her in the eyes. I can see so many emotions.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," I smiled, softly. Leaning in until my lips were almost to hers, I whispered, "I love you, silly girl."

Closing the gap before she could respond, I press my lips to hers. Bella smiles against my lips before she starts to kiss me back. Turning so that she was straddling my lap, she deepens the kiss by slipping her tongue into my mouth. I moaned and tightened my arms around her. Bella pulls her lips from mine, taking a deep breath as she smiles.

"I love you, too," she whispered, letting a tear fall down her face.

"You do?" I asked, smiling. Bella nodded her head as she lays it on my shoulder.

"I was scared to tell you, in case you didn't feel the same," murmured Bella, nestling herself in my arms.

"How could I not love you," I whispered, running my fingers through her brown and purple hair.

Bella smiled against the side of my neck but didn't say anything else. The two of us sat on the beach for the rest of the afternoon, holding each other, talking about what we would like to do to Lauren Mallory and her gang of bitches. The sun had just started to set as we stood up and headed back to her car. She let me drive us back to Forks and to the gym, where we both knew our siblings were going to be waiting for us. We climbed out of the car and I pulled her into my arms and kissed her softly.

"No matter what happens in there, remember that I love you," I murmured.

"I love you, too," whispered Bella.

She kissed me before slipping her hand into mine. We headed inside and found Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Renee, and Charlie waiting for us. They all looked up at us and sighed in relief. Oddly, none of them looked pissed with us. I was sure we would be getting yelled at.

"Bell, you ok?" asked Carlisle.

"I'm fine," mumbled Bella. "Just need to cool off, you know."

"Yeah," muttered Carlisle, looking back at me. "You ok?"

"Yep," I said, awkwardly. "Are we in trouble?"

"No," smiled Esme, shaking her head. "You were defending yourselves."

"Oh, ok," I said, feeling a little relieved.

"But Edward, there's something you should know," said Esme, looking over at Carlisle.

"What?" I asked, warily.

"Mom and Dad are coming."


	24. Chapter 24

24

"I am fixing to beat the shit out of you if you don't fucking calm down," laughed Bella. I rolled my eyes as I threw my gloved hand into the punching bag.

"Did you forget about my parents coming?" I asked, harshly. "What if they force me to go to Italy with them?"

"I don't know," muttered Bella, letting go of the bag.

She moved over and climbed into the ring. I sighed as I pulled off my gloves and went over and joined her. After Esme dropped the bomb that my parents were coming yesterday, Bella had been very subdued. Fuck, so was I. Esme assured us that their visit had nothing to do with the fight but I was nervous about what would happen when they found out. She said they were coming just to check on us but I couldn't help wonder about the what ifs. I sat down next to Bella and wrapped my arm around her waist. She sighed and leaned into my embrace.

"I'm going to do everything I can to stay here," I murmured.

"I know," whispered Bella, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Fuck, I feel like one of those fucking love struck teenagers in those sappy ass movies, but I don't want to lose you, Edward. Not when I…"

"Me either," I whispered.

Bella and I fell into a peaceful silence as we laid back on the mats. I was more than scared that my parents would try to force me to go to Italy with them. How would I be able to handle living a continent apart from the girl I loved? I don't think I would be able to. I'm not sure how long Bella and I had been laying on the mats when the front doors to the gym opened. I felt Bella tense up as we looked over. I think she was expecting my parents but instead, Garrett, Kate, Ben, and Angela were standing there.

All four of them looked uncomfortable, tense, and nervous. I looked over at Bella, who was staring at the floor. This had to be hard on her, knowing that they were wondering about the newspaper article. Just one more reason why I wanted to kick Lauren's ass, again. Carlisle came out of his office and looked from them to us.

"May I help you?" asked Carlisle, facing them.

"We, um, came to see, Bella, sir," mumbled Garrett, uncomfortably.

"You did, huh?" asked Carlisle. "Shouldn't you all be in school?"

"We were suspended for fighting," said Ben, slipping his arm around Angela, who was playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Oh, I see," said Carlisle, looking back at me. I nodded my head softly. "Ok, well, I guess I'll just be in my office. No fighting, children."

"Shut the fuck up, Car," grumbled Bella, speaking for the first time.

Carlisle laughed and went back into his office, shutting the door behind him. Garrett, Ben, Kate, and Angela stood there next to the front door awkwardly for a moment before they slowly made their way over to where Bella and I were sitting. They climbed into the ring and sat down in front of us.

"Take your shoes off," muttered Bella. "Carlisle will kick all four of your asses if he catches you with street shoes on his mats."

"Oh, ok," muttered Angela, slipping her boots off. Garrett, Kate, and Ben followed her lead. "So, um, Carlisle's the blond dude, right?"

"Yep," said Bella, looking up at them. "He's my oldest brother."

"Oh," said Angela, wrapping her arms around her knees. "How many brother's do you have?"

"Three," whispered Bella. "Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper. I have an older sister named Renee. Her husband, Charlie, is practically a brother, though."

"Wow, that must suck to have that many older siblings," chuckled Garrett.

"Yeah, your parents…" Ben trailed off, looking down at his feet. "Sorry I didn't mean to bring them up."

"It's fine," muttered Bella. "My parents were amazing people. They loved each other…so much. They loved kids, obviously."

"That's good," whispered Kate. For several minutes, nobody said anything. I slipped my hand into Bella's. She smiled softly at me.

"And this is where you guys train to fight or whatever it is you do?" asked Angela, looking around.

"Yeah, we box," said Bella. "My parents had a very successful gym in Arizona. They used to train all of us until…they died."

"Oh," muttered Angela.

"You can ask me what I know you are wanting to ask," sighed Bella. "I'm not going to like fucking freak out and kill you or anything. At least not right now."

"That's a relief," laughed Garrett. Ben, Kate, and Angela all laughed with him and suddenly, the tension was lifted from the air. "Your parents were murdered, right?"

"Yes," said Bella. "I, um, was there when it happened but my father told me to hide in the cubby space in the back of my closet. It…"

"It took the police two days to find her," I finished as I pulled Bella into my arms.

"Oh my god," whispered Angela. "The people who hurt them, were they caught?"

"No," cried Bella, wrapping her arms around me. "The police said it was a random act of violence. After they found me, I was fucking crazy. I, um, kind of attacked the police as they tried to help me. A judge ordered that I had to spend a month in a state hospital, where the doctors thought the best solution was to drug me up so much that I was practically catatonic. When I was finally released, my brothers moved me to Seattle, and then here to Forks."

"It sounds like your brothers are pretty cool," said Garrett. "You know, taking you in and everything."

"They can be," whispered Bella.

"So, um, did you two get into a lot of trouble because of the fight yesterday?" asked Angela.

"No," I smiled. "None actually. How about you guys?"

"I got grounded to my room for the next three days," said Angela, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yet, here you sit," smiled Bella, clearly relieved that they weren't going to push for more details.

"I was bored," smirked Angela.

"My parents yelled at me for like a fucking hour, telling me what a disappointment I was and how they wished I would be like my older sister," said Kate, rolling her eyes. "I told them I would rather die than be like Tanya."

"My Dad tried to take my car away," snorted Garrett. "At least he did until I reminded him that meant I would be blaring my music all day and night. Since he works from home, he grumbled and called me a little prick but gave me my keys back. He then told me to stay out of his way and to try not to get arrested."

"Good luck," teased Bella.

"I know, right?" asked Garrett, shaking his head. "What else am I supposed to do?"

"My mom and dad yelled at me about making better choices, blah, blah, blah," said Ben, leaning back on his arms. "Honestly, I didn't listen to a fucking word they said. I was too busy planning my revenge on the bitch."

"Guys, just let it go," sighed Bella, shaking her head. "Lauren and her skank army aren't worth all this shit."

"Maybe," shrugged Ben. "Or maybe, we should make sure they've learned their lessons."

"Ben, seriously, let it go," laughed Bella, standing up. "All it's going to do is get you into more trouble."

"You make it sound like trouble is a bad thing," scoffed Ben.

Bella shook her head as she climbed out of the ring. She went over to the supply closet and grabbed a box of gloves and head gear. She came back over and climbed into the ring. She tossed a pair of gloves and a head gear to Garrett, Angela, Ben, and Kate.

"Let's get you taped up," said Bella.

"Um, why?" asked Angela.

"Um, cause I'm going to teach you how to really throw a proper punch," snorted Bella, pulling Angela's hand to her and looking at the bruised knuckles. "Wouldn't want you to break anything."

"Ok," smiled Angela.

Bella taped Angela and Kate's hands while I taped Garrett and Ben's hands. We fitted their gloves on before we put on their headgear. All four of them were looking at us like we were crazy for even suggesting this. I taped Bella's hands and got her gloves on before pulling mine back on.

"Ok, Garrett and Ben face each other. Kate and Angela face each other," ordered Bella, turning and facing me.

"Wait, are you going to fight Edward?" asked Ben, harshly.

"Yeah," said Bella, confused. "It's not a big deal. Now-"

"It is a big deal," growled Ben, turning to me. "Dude, she's a girl."

"Ben, man, I know that," I laughed. "But she's tough. Besides, she can kick my ass so shut the fuck up about her being a girl, ok?"

"Ok," muttered Ben, still not comfortable with idea.

"Ok, now that we've settled that," said Bella, rolling her eyes. "We can move on. Now, the trick to throwing a good punch is to hit with the right part of your glove. You want to use the tip and hit quickly. Don't give them a chance to back off before you make contact."

Bella demonstrated slowly for them before having them throw a punch at each other. Garrett and Ben both threw a nice hard punch but Angela and Kate barely touched each other. I saw Carlisle watching from the door way of his office as Bella stood behind Kate and guided her arm to Angela's shoulder. Carlisle smiled and shook his head before he went back into his office. I knew what he thinking. The Bella he knew would never do this. This was a new Bella.

"Ok, that was better," smiled Bella, as Angela threw a good right jab. "Next, you need to learn to protect yourselves. You want to keep your arms up, elbows tucked in, and feet moving."

"Based on the bruises on you two, you didn't do a great job of that," snorted Garrett.

"I fought eight fighters in two days," I pointed out. "And Bella found like seven. You should see what they looked like."

"Eight? In two days?" asked Ben, eyes wide open. I nodded my head. "Fuck, Edward, did you at least win after getting the shit beat out of you?"

"First of all, I was the one beating the shit out people," I smirked. "And yes, I did win."

"What about you, Bella?" asked Kate. "Did you win?"

"Fuck yes," snorted Bella. "Like any of those bitches could take me."

"Man, I wish I could have seen that," sighed Garrett, shaking his head.

"Ok, back to work," laughed Bella.

Bella and I spent the rest of the afternoon showing Garrett, Ben, Angela, and Kate a few basic offensive and defensive moves. Just after three, they stripped off their gloves and headgear, claiming that they needed to get going. Personally, I think they were just tired. Bella and I packed everything up and headed to mine and Esme's apartment.

"What movie should we watch?" I asked, looking back at her.

"Something scary like When In Rome," laughed Bella, plopping down on the couch.

"That's not scary," I chuckled. "That's a chick flick."

"Sounds scary to me," smiled Bella. I shook my head and looked back at our movies.

"You are really weird sometimes, Baby," I snorted.

"I know," sighed Bella. "I don't care what we watch, anyway."

"Ok," I murmured, pulling out Empire Records. "In that case, we are going to watch a classic."

I put the movie on and went over and sat down next to Bella. She laughed and shook her head as the movie started but didn't say anything. She slid over next to me and laid her head on my shoulder. I slipped my hand around her waist, pulling her so close she was practically in my lap.

Bella seemed to feel like my lap was a good place to sit as she climbed over and straddled me. My hands automatically slipped around to her ass, grabbing a cheek in each hand. Bella gripped my hair in her hands and pulled my head back. She crushed her lips down onto mine. My eyes rolled back as she slipped her tongue into my mouth. The girl was trying to kill me.

I flipped us so that she was laying on her back and I was hovering over her. Running my hands up her leg, I pulled her leg up at the thigh and hooked it over my hip, grinding my rapidly growing erection into her. Bella moved her other leg around the back of my leg, pulling my hips into hers. I moved my lips to her neck as I slid my hand up further until it reached the bottom of her t-shirt. I sucked and nipped on her neck as I slipped my hand under her shirt and moved it up to her breast. I could feel her hard nipples through the bra she was wearing. Bella gasped and moaned as I pushed her shirt up and moved my lips to her lace covered nipples.

It wasn't until I heard someone clear their throat that I realized that Bella and I were no longer alone. Bella tensed up as she pushed me off of her and yanked her shirt down. Taking a deep breath, I looked over to the front door.

"Edward," said the dark haired man.

"Hey, Dad."


	25. Chapter 25

25

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. That's about all I could think as I stood there with Bella hiding behind me, shaking. My father was standing there, watching us both. I couldn't really tell what he was thinking because he was always so reserved. It was all just….fuck.

"Ed, is he here?" asked my mother, Elizabeth, coming into the apartment with Esme on her heels. She smiled as soon as she saw me and launched herself at me. "EDWARD! Oh, I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too, Mom," I said, hugging her but my eyes were still locked with my father's.

His lips twitched slightly as he fought the smile that threatened to break out on his face. My mother pulled back and looked me over before she noticed Bella standing behind me.

"Edward, aren't you going to introduce me to your…friend?" asked Elizabeth, smiling as she looked from Bella to me. I swear she was practically smirking, much like Esme was doing from behind her.

"Of course I am," I said, softly. I turned to Bella, who looked mortified, and mouthed a quick 'sorry' before I stepped aside and pulled her up a little bit. I could feel Bella's body trembling from embarrassment. "Mom, Dad, this is Bella Cullen, my girlfriend. Bella, these are my parents, Ed and Elizabeth Masen."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Masen," muttered Bella, shakily. I slipped my arm around her, hoping to calm her down a little bit but it didn't really work seeing as my mother damn near squealed.

"The pleasure is ours, Bella," smiled Elizabeth. "And please call us Ed and Elizabeth."

"I should go," whispered Bella, looking up at me with wide, fearful eyes.

"I'll, um, walk you to your car," I muttered. Bella nodded quickly and looked back at my parents, who were just watching the two of us.

"I, um…" Bella trailed off, looking at the floor. "I guess I'll…."

Bella trailed off again as she grabbed her coat and practically ran from the apartment. My parents both frowned as they watched her. I sighed as I looked back at them and said, "I'll be right back."

Chasing after Bella, I ran out of the apartment and caught up to her as she reached her car. I grabbed her arm and she spun around as she buried her face in my chest, letting the tears that had been swimming in her eyes fall freely down her face. I tightened my arms around her and held her as tight as I could.

"God, they are going to think I am the biggest whore now," whispered Bella.

"No, they won't," I sighed.

"Edward, you father walked in while you were feasting away on my boob," grumbled Bella, looking up at me. She shook her head as she snorted. "Thank fucking god I wore a bra today."

"It's going to be ok, Baby," I smiled, leaning my forehead down on hers. "I promise."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. She leaned up and kissed me. "I guess I'll see you at the gym tomorrow, if they let you come near me again."

"I'll be there," I promised. "I love you."

"I love you, too," blushed Bella, biting her lip.

Bella kissed me one more time before I opened her car door. She climbed in and I shut if behind her. I watched as she pulled her car out of the parking space and out into the traffic. I turned back and saw my father watching me from the window in the living room. Ducking my head, I slowly made my way up the back stairs and into the apartment.

I walked into the apartment and found my mother, sitting on the sofa with Esme. They were leaning into each other, whispering quietly. I had a sickening feeling that Bella and I were the topic of conversation between them. The moment I came in, however, they both stopped talking and looked back over at me.

"Oh, Edward, your face looks horrible," said Elizabeth, coming over to me. She started pressing down on the bruises from the tournament.

"Gee, thanks, Mom," I chuckled.

"You know what I meant," she smiled, shaking her head. She sighed and hugged me again. "I swear you've grown at least two inches since I last saw you."

"No, I haven't," I said, trying my hardest to reassure her. "You look beautiful, Mom. Italy must not be too bad, huh?"

"It has it's charms," said Elizabeth, pulling back. She moved her hands to my face. "But I have missed you, my baby boy."

"Mom," I whined. "I'm not a baby."

"You'll always be my baby," she laughed. I could hear Esme and Edward Sr. laughing behind us. _Traiters_. "Now, why don't I make us some dinner?"

"We'll just order something in, Mom," said Esme, standing up.

"Nonsense," scoffed Elizabeth, waving her off. "I want to cook us dinner. I haven't gotten to cook in a while."

"Ok, I guess we need to run to the store and get a few things," muttered Esme.

"Edward and I will go," smiled my father, looking over at me. _Crap, this couldn't be good. _"Just get us a list ready, my darling."

Twenty minutes later, my father and I had a list of groceries we needed to pick up and were sitting in my car, him driving of course. For the first thirty seconds or so, the car was filled with nothing but the awkward silence of a boy who had been caught rounding second base with his girlfriend. Then my father started laughing.

"You look like I'm about to string you up or something, Edward," laughed Ed, shaking his head. I snorted and looked over at him.

"Aren't you?" I asked.

"No," scoffed Ed, smiling at me. "Although, walking in on you and Bella was…"

"Awkward, humiliating, embarrassing, the single worst moment of my entire life," I said, filling in the blank for him. That just caused my father to laugh harder. "Glad, you find this so funny, Dad."

"Hey, I've got to laugh," he snorted. "You didn't see your face. Or Bella's face. I thought you both were going to shrink up into a little hole."

"Would have if we could," I muttered. Ed pulled my park into the parking lot of the grocery store and cut the engine. I made to get out but he pulled on my arm to stop me.

"Hold up a minute," he said. I sighed and sat back in my seat but didn't look over at him. "I'm worried about you."

"You don't need to be," I muttered.

"I think I do when Esme is telling us about you fighting, getting suspended," said Ed. I shook my head and looked out the window. "You've never been a trouble maker, Edward. Why all the sudden are you getting into fights?"

"I didn't start either of those fights," I said, defending myself. "The first time, this real prick named Mike Newton threw the first punch, after he called Bella a whore. I won't put up with that…stuff."

"You shouldn't," agreed Ed, "but now you are suspended."

"Not my fault," I muttered.

"Is anything your fault?" asked my father.

"There is this girl at school, Lauren Mallory, who insists on getting into Bella's face. Bella has things that she doesn't like to talk about, with anyone but me, anyway. Lauren tried to throw some crap in Bella's face and Bella fought back. Another girl, Jessica, tried to jump Bella from behind so they could gang up on her, when two other friends of mine, Angela and Kate, stopped her. Then three of their boys, Mike, Tyler, and Eric, tried to get involved. My other two friends, Ben and Garrett, and I had to stop them," I explained. "All of them started it and we were defending ourselves and Bella. What would you have done?"

"Beat the shit out of them," agreed my father. "But it doesn't mean it's ok to be fighting, Edward. You and Bella have training that those other kids don't have. It's gives you an edge."

"Maybe," I muttered.

"Look, I'm just worried about you," said Ed. "You've changed."

"You make that sound like a bad thing," I mumbled.

"I don't mean it to," frowned my father. "It's nice to hear the words 'my friends' come out of your mouth."

"It's nice to have some," I said, smiling at him. "They're really cool kids, Dad, and Bella is…she's really cool."

"I'm sure she is, Edward," laughed Ed, opening his car door. "I can't wait to get to know her better."

I groaned as my father just laughed harder and climbed out of the car. Reluctantly, I climbed out of the car and followed him inside. He was still snickering as we headed walked in. We made our way around the store, picking up the items on the list we were give. We were standing in the produce isle, looking at lettuce, when I saw Mike Newton and some woman, I could only assume was his mother, heading our way. I had sneaking suspicion that the apple didn't far from the asshole tree.

"Can I assume that you are this boy's father?" snapped the blond woman, gesturing to me. Mike looked like he was about ready to die from embarrassment. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"I'm Edward Masen Sr., Ma'am," said my father, politely. "You are?"

"I'm Karen Newton," sneered the woman. "You need to teach your son not to bully other children."

I snorted and looked away from her. What planet was she from that I was the bully? She was obviously clueless about her precious baby boy.

"You think that is funny?" asked Karen, looking over at me. I looked back at her.

"No, Ma'am," I replied.

"Mrs. Newton, I can assure you that my son is not a bully," said Ed, folding his arms across his chest. Karen Newton rolled her eyes and matched his stance while Mike groaned and looked around. Obviously, he didn't like mommy fighting his battles. "From what I've been told your son started both fights. Throwing wild punches is only going to get him hurt."

"Well, maybe you should spend more time with your son instead of leaving him in the care of your daughter," smirked Karen. I saw a smirk crepe up on Mike's face, too. "Obviously, she can't handle the boy."

Karen Newton turned and walked away. Mike laughed as he followed his mother through the produce isle. I took a deep breath as I grabbed a head of lettuce and threw it in our basket. _Stupid motherfucking assholes._ My father didn't say a word as we went back to our list. I could tell it bothered him that Karen said he wasn't doing his job as my father, but what did she know? She was just a bitch.

We quickly gathered the rest of our groceries, paid for them, and headed out to the car. Once we had everything loaded, we headed back to our apartment. My father was silent on the five minute drive, which while it wasn't unusual that he was quiet, I knew there was more to it than his normal reflections to his day. Karen Newton had gotten to him and I didn't know what to say to make him feel better.

He parked my car next to Esme's and sighed as he climbed out. I climbed and out and met him at the trunk. We started grabbing bags of fruits, veggies, and other foods.

"You know she's not right, don't you?" I asked.

"No, I don't, Edward," muttered my father, looking over at me. "I should be here. I should be the one raising you but I can't be. I know that you and Esme understand why the base in Italy needs me. I know you understand why I need you mom with me but that doesn't mean that she's wrong about me not being here. She is wrong about Esme not doing a good job with you, though."

"Dad, I…" I trailed off. "Are you and mom going to force me to Italy?"

"No," snorted Ed, closing the trunk of my car. "All that would do is make you miserable and I refuse to do that to you. You are happy here. You have friends here and a beautiful girlfriend. I won't take that away from you, no matter how much I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, Dad," I laughed. "Even your snoring."

My father just laughed as we made our way up the back steps of the building and headed into our apartment. Elizabeth and Esme were sitting on the couch, giggling like a couple of school girls. I couldn't help but smile at them both. They were both so happy. They looked over at us and smiled.

"It's about time," laughed Elizabeth. "I thought you might have gotten lost."

"We had a hard time picking out the perfect head of lettuce," I explained, kissing her cheek.

"You always did," she snorted, taking the bags from my hands. "Come talk to me while I cook and I'm not asking."

"Yes, Ma'am," I laughed, shaking my head.

I saw Esme smirk as I followed my mother into the kitchen. She was so smug. Just wait until I tell my mother about Carlisle. Elizabeth started unloading the groceries out of the bag before she started cooking dinner. She had a huge smile on her face and I could tell that she had really missed this, being around family.

"So," she said, looking back at me. "You have a girlfriend now, huh?"

"Yep," I muttered.

"She's very pretty," smiled Elizabeth. "Even with the purple hair."

"She's beautiful," I whispered, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Tell me about her," insisted Elizabeth. I groaned and laid my head on the table.

"Mom," I whined.

"Don't be such a baby," she laughed, sitting down across from me. I looked up at her. "Tell me about her."

"What do you want to know?" I asked, rolling my eyes as I pouted.

"Everything," smiled Elizabeth.

"Fine," I said. "She's smart and funny. She's tough and doesn't talk crap from anyone. She's very protective of those she cares about. She's the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Sometimes, when she's telling me a story about one of her brothers, she gets this little smile on her face," I smiled, softly. "She's amazing and…I don't know."

"She's a boxer, too?" asked Elizabeth, standing up and heading back to the stove.

"Yep," I said. "Her brothers, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper, run the gym and are my trainers, as well as hers."

"Oh, yes, the infamous Carlisle," laughed Elizabeth, looking back at me. "Just between us, Esme likes him, doesn't she?"

"Oh, yeah," I snorted.

"I thought so," smirked Elizabeth. Shaking her head, she turned back to the stove. "You both look happy here. I've been worried, Edward, but you seem to be ok, even if you have been fighting."

"I am happy here," I said. "I have friends here."

"Good," smiled Elizabeth. She turned and looked back at me. "That's really nice, Edward."

My mother finished dinner and the four of us settled around the table. It was nice to enjoy a family dinner for a change. My mother and father grilled both Esme and I about Carlisle and Bella. Esme narrowed her eyes at me as if she blamed me for the third degree she was getting but if I was going down, I sure the hell was taking her down with me.

After dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen and went into my bedroom. Shutting the door behind me, I pulled out my cell phone and called Bella.

"Hello," she answered, after the second ring.

"Hey," I said.

"Hi," she whispered. "How are things with Ma and Pa Masen?"

"Fine," I chuckled. "I got a nice lecture about fighting from my father and a lot of questions about you from both of them."

"Fucking great," groaned Bella.

"It's fine," I laughed. "Don't be embarrassed, Bella."

"No, why should I be embarrassed? Just because your father caught us making out like a couple of horny teenagers," she scoffed.

"We are a couple of horny teenagers, remember?" I snorted.

"Yeah, yeah," laughed Bella. "So what are you doing now?"

"Nothing," I said. "Thinking about reading for a while."

"What are you reading?" she asked.

"The Stand by Stephen King. I've read it dozens of times but I like it," I explained.

"It's not as good as 'It'," said Bella. "That book scared the fucking shit out of me when I read it."

"Yeah, but the movie sucked," I snorted.

"It did," giggled Bella.

Bella and I talked on the phone for about another hour. I spent the rest of the night reading until I fell asleep, thinking about Bella.


	26. Chapter 26

26

BPOV

When I woke up the next morning, I felt…anxious. No, that's not the right word to describe how I felt. I was freaking out of my fucking mind. Edward assured me that his parents were cool about us and that they weren't going to drag him onto the first flight out to Italy but I wasn't as confident as he was. Not only had they caught him with his mouth on my nipple but he had been fighting because of me. I knew that there would be no way that his parents would understand that.

Not able to handle laying in my bed another minute, I crawled out of it and changed into my running clothes. I had to get this tension out before I went fucking insane…again. Grabbing my iPod, I headed out and ignored the mutters of 'good morning' that came from my brothers, Renee, and Charlie. I merely grunted as I pushed past them and went outside.

When I got home last night, they all knew something was bothering me. They pushed and pushed for me to tell them but how do you tell your older brothers that you got caught rounding second by your boyfriend's parents? Especially when said brothers were already testy about the boy they didn't deem good enough for me. Yeah, not going to happen so I told them to fuck off and leave me alone.

"I knew you would be here," snickered Edward, falling in step with me as I ran. I pulled my ear buds out of my ear.

"You did, huh?" I asked. "How?"

"Because I know you, Baby," laughed Edward, pulling me to a stop. He brought his hands up to my face. "Are you ok?"

"I'm so embarrassed, Edward," I whispered. "That is not how I envisioned meeting your parents."

"I know but that's how it happened and you have to let it go," said Edward, seriously. I rolled my eyes and looked at the ground. "Bella, come on. It's ok."

"So you keep saying," I muttered. Edward lifted my chin up and looked me into the eye.

"I promise," he murmured.

Edward leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, wrapping his arms around my body. I slipped my arms into his and grabbed onto the back of shirt. Edward swiped my bottom lip with his tongue, asking for entry into my mouth. I parted my lips and let his tongue in. Edward moaned and pulled me closer to him.

"Get a room," laughed Garrett. Edward and I pulled apart and looked behind us. He and Ben were sitting in his car, an red and black '85 Camero.

"Sweet ass car, Garrett," I gasped, pulling away from Edward and going over and eyeing it.

"Thanks," chuckled Garrett, cutting the engine off and climbing out. Ben climbed out and came around to us. "This is my baby. The only thing I love nearly as much as I love Kate."

"How's it drive?" I asked, walking around it.

"Like a dream," snorted Garrett. "Should after all the work I've done on it."

"You did the work yourself?" I asked.

"Most of it," shrugged Garrett. "Gives me something to do other than stay home and listen to my dad yell at me about what a disappointment I am."

"I guess," I muttered, uncomfortably.

"Anyway, what are you two up to today?" asked Garrett, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Oh, um, my parents are in town for a couple days," said Edward, slipping his arm around my waist. "They are insisting that they come by the gym and see where I'm training at. Since Esme's working…"

"Wow, the parents, huh?" snickered Ben. "Well, good luck with that."

"Gee, thanks, asshole," I muttered.

"Aw, Bella, don't be like that," smirked Ben. "Just don't be sucking each other's faces like that anymore."

"Fuck off, douche bag," I grumbled, pulling away from Edward and starting my run again.

Garrett and Ben both burst out laughing. I heard Edward tell them to shut the fuck up before he fell into step with me. We ran a couple miles and headed back to the gym. Edward kissed me and said he would be back in a little bit. I made my way upstairs and ate some cereal.

Once I was done with me cereal, having wasted as much time as I could, I made my way down to the gym. Emmett and Jasper were working out on the weight benches, egging each other on about who could lift more. Renee was in the office, gabbing on the phone about some auction she had coming up in Seattle next month. Charlie was sitting on the couch inside the office, going through the paper, ignoring the words coming out of his wife's mouth.

"Come on, Bell," ordered Carlisle, walking out of the dressing rooms. "I want to work on your roundhouse."

"What's wrong with it?" I asked. I stuck my hands out so he could tape them.

"Nothing, but it could be better if you pull your arms in more instead of swinging so wide," chuckled Carlisle. For a moment, he did say anything. "So you going to tell me about last night?"

"No," I muttered. Carlisle sighed. "It's really nothing, Car."

"Yeah, that's why you looked like you were fixing to rip someone's head off," snorted Carlisle, shaking his head. "Did…did Edward hurt you? Put pressure on you to do…anything?"

"NO," I yelled, pulling my hands away. He grabbed them and pulled them back.

"I had to ask," huffed Carlisle.

"Edward would never hurt me, Car, or pressure me to do anything with him," I muttered. "I wish you would trust him. He's a great guy."

"It's not like I'm not trying, Bell," mumbled Carlisle. "I just…I don't want you going through hell again."

"He didn't do anything," I whispered. "I met his parents."

"Shit, they're here already?" gasped Carlisle, snapping his head up to me.

"Esme didn't call you?" I asked, chuckling at the look of pure fear on his face.

"She called but I didn't get to the phone in time and it was late so I didn't call her back," fretted Carlisle. "Oh, crap, this….fuck, were they nice?"

"Yeah, I guess," I laughed. "I didn't exactly stay around for family bonding time. Edward told me this morning that they were coming here."

"WHAT?" bellowed Carlisle, dropping my hands. Charlie and Renee came running out of the office as Emmett and Jasper both dropped the weights they were lifting on the floor, the bang echoing around the large room. "WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS SOONER, BELLA?"

"I didn't-"

"Is there a problem here?" asked Edward's father.

Carlisle gulped as we, along with everyone else turned around and saw Edward Sr. Elizabeth, and Edward standing in the door way with wide eyes. Edward was biting his lip, trying not to completely bust out laughing at the deer in the headlights look on Carlisle's face. Elizabeth was smiling as she looked around at everyone. It may have been my imagination but it seemed like her smile grew when her eyes landed on me.

"Are we interrupting something?" asked Edward Sr.

"Um, no… I mean, no, sir," stammered Carlisle, wiping his hands on his pants as he crossed the gym and held out his hand to the man. "I'm, um, Carlisle Cullen."

"Edward Masen, but for the sake of making it easier on everyone, just call me Ed," laughed Ed. He smiled and looked over at me. "Bella, it's nice to see you again."

"Yeah, you too," I muttered, blushing bright red as I looked down at the floor.

"Well, since no one is going to introduce us, I guess I will," laughed Emmett. "I'm Emmett Cullen, Bella and Carlisle's brother. This is our other brother, Jasper, our sister and her husband, Renee and Charlie Swan."

"It's nice to meet all of you," smiled Ed. "This is my wife, Elizabeth."

"We've heard so much about all of you from Esme and Edward," smiled Elizabeth. "It's nice to have faces to put with the names."

"Are we interrupting a training session?" asked Ed, looking around.

"Oh, um, I was fixing to…" trailed off Carlisle, taking a deep breath. "I just figured I would take advantage of their suspension."

"Good idea," smiled Ed. "I would love to watch."

"Watch," murmured Carlisle. "Yeah, I mean, Yes, that would be fine."

"Carlisle," said Elizabeth, smiling as she placed her hand on my brother's shoulder.

"Yes?" he asked, weakly.

"Calm down before you stroke out," she laughed. "We are not going to tar and feather you…at least not yet."

"That's good to know," laughed Carlisle, shaking his head as he relaxed.

Everyone laughed and just like that the tension was gone. Carlisle finished getting my hands wrapped and gloved while Ed did Edward's. I expected Ed to climb into the ring with us but he didn't. He settled on one of the folding chairs and watched as Carlisle worked with both me and Edward on our roundhouse. From the corner of my eye I watched Elizabeth make her rounds and talk to everyone, starting with Renee and Charlie, then moving on to Emmett, and finally Jasper. I had a nasty feeling with the way Jasper laughed that he was talking about me.

By the time Esme showed up after school was let out, I was exhausted from a long day of training. Edward and I were sitting in the back corner of the gym on a pile of mats while Emmett and Jasper went a few rounds in the ring. Edward and I were listening to my iPod, him with his arm wrapped around my waist, when his mother came over.

"Edward, leave," said Elizabeth. Her tone made it clear that she was not really asking. My mom used to use the same tone with us.

"Mom…"

"Edward," said Elizabeth, cocking her eyebrow at him.

"Fine," muttered Edward. He leaned down to my ear. "It's going to be ok. I'll just be over there with my dad, ok?"

"Ok," I whispered. Edward kissed my cheek, causing me to blush, before he left. Elizabeth took the spot he was sitting in.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Bella," said Elizabeth, pulling my hands apart. I hadn't realized I was clenching them together to tightly.

"I know," I muttered.

"No, you didn't but I want you to know that I am not going to do anything that would cause you pain," smiled Elizabeth, patting my hand affectionately. "Breathe, Bella."

"I'm trying," I muttered, shakily. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean for that to happen. It…we just got wrapped up in the moment and before I knew it he was in my shirt…."

"What are you talking about?" asked Elizabeth. I could feel my panic attack starting to build, creeping up on me. I was trying to push it back but…

"PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME," I screamed, loudly. "PLEASE! I NEED HIM!"

"Bella…" trailed off Elizabeth as I started sobbing.

"Mom, what did you say to her?" asked Edward, scooping me into his arms.

"I can't lose you, too," I sobbed, wrapping my arms and legs around him. "Please not you too."

"Shh, Baby, I am not going anywhere," soothed Edward.

"Liz, what's going on here?" asked Ed.

"I don't know," said Elizabeth. "She started talking about something happening last night and then begged me not to take Edward away from her…. I don't know."

"Baby, I told you that it was ok," whispered Edward, sinking to the floor with me wrapped around his body. "I promise that I am not going anywhere."

"I'm sorry," fretted Elizabeth. "I don't know what I did."

"You didn't do anything, Mom," said Esme. "Let's give them a couple minutes. Edward will get her calmed down."

Edward was rubbing my back as I sobbed uncontrollably into his neck. I'm not even sure why I was so worked up. Edward had reassured me over and over that everything was going to be ok and I believed him but I still was just so scared. I probably ruined it all now that they've seen me freak out like this.

"They are going to think I am such a fucking nut job," I whispered, taking another shaky breath.

"No, they won't," murmured Edward, holding me tighter in his arms. "I told you that I am not leaving."

"I know you did," I muttered.

"Then why did you freak out?" asked Edward. I pulled back so that I could look into his eyes.

"I don't know," I sighed. "She was telling me that she wasn't going to hurt me and to breathe. Before I knew it I was rambling on and on about last night. I could feel the panic and I tried to push it back but it was like-"

"Ok, ok, calm down," murmured Edward. "I don't, um, think my dad told her about…"

"Seriously?" I asked. Edward nodded his head. "Well, shit. I just made a fucking fool out of myself over nothing."

"Baby, you didn't make a fool of yourself," chuckled Edward. I rolled my eyes at him. "You didn't. You were just scared. I get that."

"Is everything ok over here?" asked Elizabeth. I ducked my head into Edward's neck, embarrassed that she had seen me act like that.

"Yeah, Mom, we're fine," said Edward.

"Bella, if I said something or did something to upset you…" trailed off Elizabeth.

"You didn't," I muttered, not able to look back at her. "I just…I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Sweetheart," said Elizabeth. I felt her place her hand on my back. I turned and looked at her. She had a small smile on her face. "I promise you that we are not taking Edward back to Italy with us."

"Ok," I whispered, feeling the tears build up in my eyes. She was such a mom and the more I was around her, the more I really missed mine.

"Sweetheart, why are you crying?" asked Elizabeth, wiping the tear off my face. I shook my head and turned back into Edward.

"She's ok, Mom," murmured Edward.

"Ok, well, Dad and I are going to head back to the apartment," whispered Elizabeth, rubbing my back. "Um, don't be home too late."

"Yes, ma'am," whispered Edward.

I felt Elizabeth lean over and kiss the top of my head, which just caused my body to shake harder as I cried. I barely heard them leave, whispering to Esme that they would see her later. Edward just held me in his arms, holding me tight to his body as I cried. I hope he realized how lucky he was to have such wonderful parents.


	27. Chapter 27

27

EPOV

When I crawled out of bed the next morning, the first thought I had was of Bella. Did that make me whipped? Probably, but I was worried about her. She had been so upset last night. Even though she didn't say anything, I knew she was missing her parents. Thankfully, my parents seemed to understand that Bella needed me. When I got home last night, they just asked me how she was and left it alone after I assured them she was fine, even if I was worried, too.

I crawled out of my bed and headed out to the kitchen. My mother was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in her hand. She was staring that the table with a vacant look on her face. I knew that face. That was her mom face.

"What are you doing up so early?" I asked, heading over to the fridge. I poured myself a glass of orange juice and sat down across from her.

"Couldn't sleep," she said, softly as she looked up at me. I cocked an eyebrow at her. She never had trouble sleeping. "Ok, I'll admit it. I'm worried about Bella."

"Oh," I said, tensely. "Do…do you not like her?"

"Of course, I do, Darling," said Elizabeth, quickly. "That's not what I meant. I just meant that she was so upset last night. I'm afraid I may have upset her somehow."

"Mom, you didn't do anything," I said, trying to reassure her.

"I don't know," she said, warily.

"Bella's parents are gone," I said, softly. Elizabeth looked up at me.

"Where are they?" asked Elizabeth.

"Mom, they died," I whispered. Elizabeth gasped as she brought her hands up to her mouth. "A couple years ago and she lives with her brothers."

"Oh, dear," she muttered.

"Bella has really struggled with their death," I explained. "I can't go into details because it's not my story but she hasn't had an easy time. She thought you and Dad were going to take me back to Italy and it scared her."

"Didn't you tell her that we weren't going to?" asked Elizabeth.

"Numerous times," I said, nodding my head. "But she's afraid that she's making a bad impression on you and that you are going to take me away."

"Hmm, well, what do I do to make her understand that I will not be doing that?" asked Elizabeth.

"I don't know," I said, shrugging my shoulders. My mother leaned back in her seat and gave me a penetrating look. "What?"

"Are you and Bella having sex?" she asked, bluntly.

"Mom," I whined, standing up.

"Don't Mom me, Edward," laughed Elizabeth. "She made comments last night about…Well, I was just wondering."

"No, we aren't having sex," I muttered. "For christ sake, Mom, we've only been seeing each other a few weeks."

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I had to ask," said Elizabeth, smiling at me. "Are you in love with her?"

"Mom," I grumbled, putting my glass in the sink.

"Do you, Edward?" she asked, again. "Do you love her?"

"Yes," I muttered. I turned and looked back at her. "I'm so in love with her."

"Have you told her?" asked Elizabeth, smiling at me.

"Yes," I murmured.

"Does she love you in return?" she asked.

"Yes," I sighed, nodding my head.

"Aw, my darling boy," sighed Elizabeth. I rolled my eyes and headed out of the room. "Don't be embarrassed, Edward. I think it's cute."

I merely groaned as I went into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I heard my mother laughing. Oh, yeah, she thought she was so funny. I stripped out of my pajamas and changed into my running clothes. I grabbed my iPod and headed out of the apartment, waving my mother off when she started laughing again. Just as I knew she would be, I caught up with Bella as she was running downtown.

"Hey, you ok?" I asked, pulling her to a stop. She looked up at me with heavy eyes.

"I didn't sleep much last night," said Bella.

"Nightmares?" I asked, frowning. Bella simply nodded her head. "Why didn't you call me? I would have come over."

"You know why," muttered Bella, looking away. I gently pulled her face around so she was looking at me.

"Bella, I promise you that I am not going anywhere," I said.

"But after…" she trailed off and looked away. "She's going to think I'm fucking crazy."

"No, she doesn't," I said, moving in front of her again. "I told her about your parents being dead."

"What?" she asked, snapping her eyes up at me.

"I didn't tell her details, just that they were gone," I said, quickly. "I would never break your trust like that."

"Oh," whispered Bella, pulling her bottom lip in between her lips. "Sorry, I just… Thank you."

"Don't thank me," I smiled, pulling her as close to my body as I could. "I love you, Bella, and I will never do anything to purposely hurt you."

"I love you, too," she murmured.

I kissed Bella softly before we finished our run. I left Bella at the gym and headed back to the apartment. I was almost there when a black luxury car pulled up next to me. The windows were so dark that I couldn't see inside of them. As it came to stop, I took several steps back. What if it was some kind of crazy, pervert?

The door to the car opened and out stepped Aro Volturi. He was looking smug, almost proud that he had caught me alone.

"Well, you look scared," he commented, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Gee, I can't imagine why," I muttered, tersely as I took another step back.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Edward," chuckled Aro, putting his hands up. "I would just like to talk to you for a minute."

"I don't have anything to say to you," I snapped, turning away. He reached out and grabbed my arm. I turned and raised my fist but he caught it in mid air.

"Calm down now, Boy," he ordered, firmly. "I told you I was not going to hurt you and I would really like to be able to keep my word."

"Let go of me," I growled. Aro smiled as he let go of both my fist and my arm.

"No need to be rude," he said, hastily. "I have a simple proposition for you."

"I don't swing that way," I quipped.

"Don't get smart," sneered Aro, dropping all sense of friendliness. "I saw you fighting in Seattle and I think you could be great. However, you are not going to go anywhere as long as you let those people continue with your training."

"Those people, huh?" I asked. "So you are offering to take over my training, is that it?"

"Not exactly," he said. "I run a private organization that could help get your name out."

"I'm sure it's legal, right?" I asked, pointedly.

"Completely," said Aro, waving me off. "I would never get you involved in an illegal operation."

"I don't think I believe you," I said, dryly. "Besides, I'm not interested."

"You haven't even considered it," pointed out Aro. "Don't you think you should consider all the options before you make a decision that could effect your future and the future of that little girlfriend of yours."

"You leave her alone," I seethed.

"I can't do that, Edward," said Aro. "I want her as well. I will have the both of you in my organization, one way or another."

"Stay the fuck away from the both of us," I snapped.

"I'll be seeing you again, Edward," said Aro, ignoring my threats. "Soon. Very soon."

Aro climbed back into his car and drove away. I stood there for several minutes, unsure of what to do. He had just threatened not only me but Bella. God, was there just no end to what this asshole would do? I'm not sure how I managed to make it home. My heart felt like it was going to burst through my chest, my legs felt like they had lead in them. My eyes were flickering around me, eyeing every sound that was there. I ran up the steps and threw open the front door to the apartment, slamming it against the wall behind me.

"Edward?" asked my mother. She, my father, and Esme were sitting in the living room. She stood up and came over to me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said, quickly. I shut the door behind me.

"Something is wrong," said Ed, standing up. "You are shaking and pale."

"I'm…I'm fine," I muttered, pulling away from my mother. "I just need to shower."

I rushed into my bedroom, leaving them in my wake. I shut the door behind me and slide to the floor. I gripped my hair into my hands and yanked on it as I silently screamed. I couldn't lose Bella now. Not to Aro, or to anyone else. I don't think I could survive that. I just didn't know what to do. If I told my parents about Aro, they would certainly force me to Italy with them.

"Edward, are you sure you are ok?" asked Esme.

"I'm fine," I said, shakily. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Ok," said Esme.

I scrambled to my feet and headed into the bathroom. I barely remember taking my shower, drying off, or getting dressed. I stumbled out of my room only to find Esme, Ed, and Elizabeth waiting for me in the living room.

"I'm going to go see Bella," I muttered, adverting my eyes from them.

"We all are," smiled Elizabeth. "We are going out for brunch."

"Oh," I muttered. "Ok."

A few minutes later, Esme pulled her car up in front of the gym. The four of us climbed out and headed inside. Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, Renee, Charlie, and Bella were waiting for us with Alice and Rose, who looked almost giddy. I went over and pulled Bella into my arms, holding her as tight as I could. I barely heard Esme introduce Alice and Rose to our parents as I had my face buried in Bella's hair. She had her hands on my chest.

"What's wrong?" asked Bella, just loud enough for me to hear.

"I…" I trailed off, pulling back and looking at her.

"Well, are we ready?" asked Elizabeth, looking around at everyone.

"Yeah," I said, shortly. "I'm riding with Bella."

"Ok," frowned Elizabeth.

As we all headed out to our cars, I saw my parents exchange a look. Bella and I climbed into her car but she didn't pull out after everyone else did. She turned and looked at me.

"What is wrong?" she asked. I buried my face in my hands as I broke down and cried like a baby. "Edward, you're scaring the shit out of me."

"Aro," I choked out. I took a deep breath as I looked over at her. Her eyes were wide and full of fear. "After I left you, he pulled up next to me."

"Did he…hurt you?" asked Bella.

"No, but he…" I trailed off. "He not so subtly informed me that he wanted you and I to fight in his 'private' organization."

"Fuck no," gasped Bella.

"That's what I said," I muttered. "But he threatened you and me. He said we won't have choice."

"Oh fuck," whispered Bella, looking out her window. "What do we do?"

"I don't know," I said.

For several minutes, Bella and I sat in complete silence. I don't think either of us knew what to say. Aro had made his intentions clear. It wasn't until Bella's cell phone rang, causing us both to jump, that we broke out of our tense silence.

"What?" growled Bella, snapping her phone open. "No, we're on our way…I know, Car….just fuck off." Bella snapped her phone shut and threw it on the floor. "We'd better go."

"Bella…"

"Me too," muttered Bella, looking over at me. "Ok, we can't tell them. If we do…"

"I agree," I said, quickly. "But what do we do about Aro?"

"I don't know," murmured Bella. "For now, we just stick together and…"

"Together," I echoed.


	28. Chapter 28

28

The ride from Forks to La Push was full of tension and awkward silence. I don't think either of us knew what to say or do right now. We both knew just how dangerous Aro Volturi was, Bella more so than I did, but I still knew. I saw the look in his eyes, the determination set firmly on his face. He would do everything he could to get the two of us to do his bidding and I knew that meant hurting those we loved the most.

"Ok, so we have to act normal," said Bella, pulling her car up in front of Jacob's dinner and looking over at me. "You look like shit."

"Gee, thanks," I muttered, harshly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. I looked over at her. "I didn't mean to get you involved in this."

"It's not your fault," I sighed, taking a deep breath. "I love you, Bella, and I am not going to let him hurt you."

"What if you get hurt?" asked Bella, looking over at me. "That would kill me, Edward."

"I won't let him hurt me, either," I offered, trying to sound as confident as I could.

"I just…" she trailed off, looking back at the restaurant as the front door opened. Carlisle looked over at us, cocking an eyebrow. "We had better go."

"Ok," I murmured.

Bella and I climbed out of the car and met in front. I slipped my arm around her waits, pulling her as close to me as I could. Needing her to be as close to me as she could be. Bella seemed to be feeling the same way as she turned and wrapped her arms around me, gripping my t-shirt in her hands.

"What took you two so long?" asked Carlisle.

"Nothing," muttered Bella. "We were just talking."

"Yeah, talking," I said, quietly.

"Ok, well, get in here before Em and Jas start telling embarrassing stories about us," snickered Carlisle.

Bella and I tried to laugh with him but it came out sounding forced and tense. Either Carlisle didn't notice or he choose not to say anything because he just turned and headed back into the small dinner. Bella and I followed him in and found our collective families sitting together in the back. They all looked so happy and relaxed. If only they knew about the dangers that were around us all but at the same time, perhaps it was better that they didn't know.

"We were starting to worry," frowned Elizabeth, pulling me and Bella into the seats next to her. She reached out and grabbed Bella's hand, once she pried it off my t-shirt that is. "Are you feeling better today, Sweetheart?"

"Yes," whispered Bella. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Don't be," said Elizabeth, squeezing her hand. "I'm just glad you are feeling better today."

Just then the front door of the diner opened and Ben, Angela, Kate, and Garrett came in. All four of them shared a look before they went into the back. It was odd that they were here and ever odder that they didn't come over and say anything to us.

"WHAT?" roared Jacob from the kitchen. "ARE YOU SHITTING ME?"

"What the hell?" asked Bella, as we all looked over at the door that lead to the kitchen.

Jacob stormed out with Garrett, Ben, Angela, Kate, and Ness following him. His face was set and flushed bright red. I could feel the anger flowing off of not only him but all of them. I just didn't understand why they were all so pissed off. Could this day get any worse?

"Ok, call Sam and get him here now with the van," barked Jacob, looking at Angela. She nodded and whipped her cell phone out. Jacob then turned to Kate and Ben. "Call Peter and James. Have them meet us at headquarters."

"On it," said Ben while Kate just nodded her head. They both whipped out their own cell phones as Jacob flipped the lock on the front door and turned to the rest of us.

"They've been compromised," said Jacob. I didn't understand what the hell he was talking about.

"How?" asked Charlie, standing up and moving over to Jacob.

"We don't know, sir," said Garrett. "Aro Volturi was spotted in town this morning by Jenks. He saw him talking to the boy."

"Shit," muttered Charlie, looking over at us. "Ok, we need to get them out of here."

"Sam is on his way," said Angela, coming back over. "ETA five minutes."

"What the hell is going on here?" asked Carlisle, looking around.

"We don't have time to explain," said Charlie. "Just sit tight."

"I will not fucking sit tight," growled Carlisle, standing up. "I want an explanation."

"And I don't have time to give you one," snapped Charlie. "Now sit down and shut the fuck up."

"Car, just listen to him," said Renee, pulling on his arm to sit down. Carlisle glared at his sister. "Please."

Carlisle shrugged her hand off of him but sat down. I looked around the table and saw that nobody, other than Renee, seemed to understand what the hell was going on. Bella nestled herself into me even more. I tightened my arms around her as I pressed my lips into the top of her head.

Charlie and Jacob were standing next to the front door, whispering to each other, while Garrett, Ben, Kate, Angela, and Ness were running around the place, yelling back and forth at each other. A moment later, a large black van slammed to at stop outside of the restaurant. A tall, russet skin man climbed out of the driver's seat and looked around as he made his way up to the front door of the diner.

"The coast is clear," said the man. "Let's get them loaded up inside."

"Everyone listen up," barked Charlie, looking around at us. "We do not have time to explain this to you but we need to get all of you out of here now. This is for your own safety."

"Why should we trust you?" growled Carlisle, throwing his chair back.

"Because I'm telling you to," snapped Charlie. "Now, get your asses up and move out."

"Now, look here-" started my father.

"NOW!" bellowed Charlie, pulling a gun out of the back of his pants. "I'm not asking here, I'm telling you to get your asses up from the table and get them into the fucking van."

Renee stood up and headed over to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder, lovingly before she followed Sam out to the black van. I wasn't sure what the hell was going on but I knew better than to argue with a man who was holding a gun. I stood up, pulling Bella up with me.

"Edward, no," hissed my mother, grabbing on to me.

"He has a gun," I said, firmly. "Just do as he says."

Bella didn't say anything as I led her past Charlie, who nodded his head at the two of us. I lifted her into the van and climbed in next to her. Renee reached out for her but Bella scooted closer to me. One by one the rest of our families joined us in the back of the van, all looking like they weren't sure we weren't being take to our deaths. Charlie climbed into the back with us while Sam and Jacob climbed into the front seats.

"Ok, now, I know you are confused," said Charlie as the van took off. "I'm sorry that I had to pull my weapon on you but this if for your own safety."

"Excuse us for not trusting you, Charlie," snapped Emmett, pulling Rose closer into his embrace. "If that is really your name."

"It is," said Charlie. "Renee, baby, come here."

Renee moved over and settled on the floor next to him. He slipped his arm around her and kissed the side of her head, almost lovingly. I was more confused than ever but I wasn't sure what to say. When I woke up this morning, my biggest concern was making sure Bella was ok. Now, I had to worry about the rest of my family as well.

Nobody said anything. I could feel the tension, the fear, the sheer terror flowing off of everyone. Bella was clinging onto me like she was afraid that if she let go that I would be sucked out of the van. I could feel her body shaking and I knew she was scared. I just didn't know what to do or say to help her right now so I just tightened my arms around her, holding her as close to me as I could.

Looking around, I noticed that everyone else seemed to be reacting the same way. Emmett had Rose tucked into his side, whispering into her ear as she let her tears flow. Alice was sitting on Jasper's lap, arms wound tightly around his neck. I could see her shoulders shaking as she too cried. Carlisle had Esme's hand in his own. He pulled it up to his lips, placing a small kiss on it. Esme laid her head his shoulder. I should have been happy that my sister had finally found someone to love, and I was, but it had also cost her dearly.

From my sister and Carlisle, I looked over at my parents. They were sitting next to Esme, wrapped in each other's arms. I could almost see the gears in my father's head turning as he tried to figure out what to do to get us out of this situation. He looked over at me and simply nodded his head as if to tell me to trust him to take care of us all. I really wanted to but I didn't.

I'm not sure how long we had been driving when the van came to stop. Charlie kissed Renee's head once more before he moved and opened the door. Sam and Jacob climbed out of the van and met him around the back, weapons raised. Charlie looked around for a minute before he turned back to the rest of us.

"Ok, it's very important that you follow my orders," instructed Charlie. "We are going to lead you somewhere safe. Please, don't fight is on this."

"They are waiting for us," said Jacob. "We need to move them now."

"Ok," sighed Charlie, looking back at us. "Let's go."

Without saying a word to us, Renee climbed out of the back of the van. Knowing that we didn't have much of a choice in this, I stood up and pulled Bella behind me as we stepped out of the van. Just like at the diner, the rest of our family followed us off. I took a moment to look around and saw that we were in an underground parking garage, a deserted parking garage.

Charlie didn't say anything as he and Jacob lead us through the parking garage with Sam, Ness, Garrett, Ben, Angela, and Kate following us. We were ushered through a large iron door that lead to the basement. We were lead down a long cold hallway until we reached a red door. Charlie looked back at us before he pushed the door open and ushered us inside. As we stepped inside, Bella, Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle all gasped. Bella stepped away from me and she looked over at the people.

"Mom? Dad?"


	29. Chapter 29

29

BPOV

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My parents were standing five feet away from me. Living, breathing, smiling at my siblings and I. I must have had to finally cracked and went insane because there was no way that my parents, who I heard screaming as they were butchered, were really standing five feet away from me.

"Isabella, honey, you've gotten so beautiful," whispered Corrine, reaching for me. I stumbled back a couple steps, taking Edward with me. "Honey-"

"You're dead," I muttered, shaking my head frantically. "You're dead. YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!"

"Honey, calm down," said Nolan, stepping toward me.

"Back the fuck off of her," growled Carlisle, moving so that he was standing between me and our parents.

"Look-"

"HE SAID BACK THE FUCK OFF!" snapped Jasper as he and Emmett flanked on either side of Carlisle.

"Everyone needs to calm down," said Renee, moving over to our parents. "Mom, Dad, are you ok?"

"We're fine, sweetheart," mumbled Corrine, hugging my sister. Renee sighed and looked back at the rest of us.

"Did you know this whole time, Ren?" I asked, pulling out of Edward's grip and moving out in front of my brothers, who all placed a hand on my shoulder. "Did you know that they were alive?"

"Yes," said Renee. "I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice but to go along with it."

"No choice?" I seethed. I lunged for her. "You stupid bitch!"

"Whoa, love," said Edward, pulling me back.

"Isabella, we are so sorry," cried Corrine.

"Sorry?" I snapped, eyes filling up with tears. "I don't give a fucking shit if you are sorry. I went through hell."

"We know-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW!" I screamed, fighting against Edward's hold on me. "I've spent fucking two years reliving every goddamn moment of that night. Thinking, wishing, I could have stopped them from killing you. I was locked up in a fucking nuthouse because of that. I've been called everything from a fucking whore to a fucking murderer because of that night."

"How could you do that her?" asked Carlisle, shaking his head. "To us? You let us think you were dead."

"We didn't have a choice," said Nolan.

"YES, YOU DID!" roared Emmett. "YOU…ARGH!"

"Just let us explain," cried Corrine.

"I heard it," I sobbed as my knees gave out on me. Edward swept me into his arms and held me. "Momma, I heard them…Daddy….I heard them kill you."

"Shit, I don't…" trailed off Jasper, looking between our parents. "You just…fuck."

"We can explain everything," insisted Nolan.

"I need to leave," I muttered. I could feel my body shaking. "I need to leave right now."

"Isabella, it's not safe," said Corrine.

"I'm not ISABELLA!" I screamed. "She fucking died when I thought you did. I need to leave. I need to hit something."

"Well, you can't."

I snapped around and saw a tall man with blond hair and deep blue eyes. Behind him were James and Victoria. All three of them were standing in the doorway with their arms crossed over their chests. The three of them stepped into the room and shut the door behind them.

"I'm sorry that this had to go down like this," said the blond man. "I wish we could have done everything differently."

"Who the fuck are you?" growled Jasper.

"My name is Peter Donaldson," he said, moving around the room to where my parents were standing. "Everyone please have a seat."

"What if we don't want to sit down?" asked Ed. What he and Elizabeth must be thinking about me now.

"I'm not asking," said Peter, firmly. "We don't have much time to explain all of this to you before we need to move again and it would really help if you would sit down and listen."

"Fuck you," I seethed, turning back to the door. James and Victoria were standing in front of it. "Move."

"Sorry, Baby Cullen, no can do," said James.

"MOVE!" I screamed.

"Nope," said James. I reared back and threw my fist into his face. He must not have really thought I would hit him because he dropped to his knees, clutching his nose in his hands. "Son of a bitch, that hurt."

"I told you to move," I hissed. I turned to Victoria. "Your turn?"

"Stop being such a little bitch, Bella, and sit your ass down," she snapped, helping James back up to his feet.

"I don't think so," I grumbled.

"Look, we don't have time for this," snapped Peter. I turned back to him.

"I don't care," I snapped back at him. "I want to leave."

"If you leave here, you will be dead within a day," said Peter. Everyone in the room took a deep, sharp breath. "Aro Volturi is not going to stop until he gets you and your little boyfriend here, in his…organization."

"Someone explain what the fuck is going on like right the fuck now," growled Carlisle, moving closer to me. Edward had slipped his arm back around my waist, pulling me back against him.

"Aro Volturi is the head of the biggest underground fight rings in the world. Not only that but he has ties to organized crime, drugs, prostitution, and terrorism," said Peter, sitting down at the long table. Nolan, Corrine, and Renee sat down next to him but the rest of us didn't move. "We've been watching him, trying to stop him for the last ten years but he's always been one step ahead of us."

I felt Edward press his lips to the top of my head, gently reminding me that he was still here. I gripped his arms that were around me, holding onto his as tightly as I could.

"When we realized that Aro had approached your parents, we set a plan in motion to move all of you," continued Peter. "Our first concern was protecting you and your parents, Bella, but before we could move you, two of Aro's men came calling."

"We tried to get there before they could hurt you or your parents but when we got there, both of your parents were nearly dead," said Sam. I closed my eyes as I felt the tears building. I could still hear the echo's of their screams. "We disposed of Aro's men and searched the house for you but we couldn't find you, Bella. We assumed that you had been taken. It wasn't until your father came to that we realized that you had been hiding inside the house the entire time."

"That's when we made the hardest decision of our lives," said Corrine. "We were afraid that if Aro thought we were still alive, that he would come after you. By faking our deaths, we had hoped that we could protect all of you."

"Protecting us," I scoffed, shaking my head. "Like you cared about us."

"Once Aro realized that we were dead, he went into hiding. He knew we would be able to tie him to our…deaths but we were still scared that he would come after you. So we arranged for people to be watching you at all times, to make sure that you would be ok," explained Nolan.

"We got word that Aro had tracked you down to Forks, Bella," said Charlie, sitting down next to my sister.

"So that's why you and Renee came back," snorted Carlisle. "Should have known it was more than just sisterly concern."

"Hey, I love Bella," snapped Renee. "I didn't want to leave you guys but I didn't have a choice, either."

"You've never cared about anyone other than yourself, Ren," scoffed Emmett.

"You don't know what the fuck you are talking about," yelled Renee, throwing her chair back. "Try spending the last two years hiding because your husband was working undercover. Trying having to keep your brothers and sisters alive while madmen hunted them and her. You don't know anything."

"Undercover?" I asked, looking over at Charlie. "I thought you were in China."

"I wish," muttered Charlie, shaking his head. "I've spent the last two years trying to bring that asshole down from the inside but before I could, my cover was blown. Renee and I knew that it was only a matter of time before Aro found where you were so we came back to protect you, not that you made it easy."

"Well, excuse me for being fucking crazy," I snapped. "I thought I had heard my parents being killed. Kind of fucked up me."

"We are so sorry, Sweetheart," cried Corrine.

"I don't care," I hissed. She flinched back. "I went through hell. I thought they raped you, Momma. I sat there for two days thinking that you were dead, that I was going to be next. I had to spend a month in a fucking nuthouse."

"Yeah, we're sorry about that," said Peter, nonchalantly . "It was for your own good, though."

"MY OWN GOOD," I screamed, launching myself on him and slamming my fist into his face.

"BELLA, THAT'S ENOUGH," shouted Nolan, pulling me off Peter. I pushed my father off of me. He stumbled into the wall behind him.

"FUCK YOU, DADDY!" I screamed. "You don't tell me what to do anymore."

"ENOUGH!" roared Peter, scrambling up to his feet. He was rubbing his jaw. "We do not have time for this."

"Just who the hell are you?" asked Emmett, pulling me behind him. "FBI? CIA?"

"Who we are is not important right now," said Peter.

"I think it is," growled Emmett.

"We have more important matters to discuss other than who we are," argued Peter.

"Not a one of us will be discussing anything else until you tell us who the hell you are," snapped Ed, moving so that he was in front of us. "My family is now involved in this shit and I want answers."

"We work for an organization called The Omega Sector," said Charlie, ignoring the look from Peter. "We are above the FBI and the CIA put together. Our job is to make sure that the nation is safe. That's all you need to know."

"Like hell it is," growled Ed.

"Look, we have to leave now," said Peter, standing up. "We are going to hide you until we can stop Aro Volturi."

"Cause you did such a good job of it so far," I muttered.

"I can't go into hiding," said Ed. "I have to be back in Italy."

"No, sir, you don't," said Peter, dryly. "You've been giving an indefinite leave."

"You can't force me to go with you," growled Ed.

"You're right, I can't," said Peter, "but your life, as well as your wife's, son's and daughter's, are at stake now too. Aro Volturi will use whatever means necessary to gain what he wants and for some reason, that is Edward and Bella. Until, we stop him, we will everything we can to protect all of you, regardless if you want us to or not."

"Dad, come on," urged Edward, placing his hand on his father's shoulder. "We have to stick together right now."

"Fine," muttered Ed, "but I don't like it."

"Noted," snorted Peter, looking around. "Ok, let's get them loaded into the van."

"Bella…" whispered Corrine, reaching out for me. I stepped away from her. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't care," I said, turning away.

Edward kept his arms around me as we followed everyone out of the room and back down the hallway. I could hear my mother crying as my father held her. I could hear Carlisle trying to reassure Esme that everything was going to be ok. Same for Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice but all I could think about was that my parents were walking behind me.

As we climbed back into the black van, I settled myself in Edward's lap. He wrapped his arms around me and held me as I silently let my tears fall. They had lied to me, put me through hell. I had a nasty feeling that it was only beginning.


	30. Chapter 30

30

EPOV

I wasn't sure what the hell had just happened. Bella's parents were sitting on the other side of the van from the rest of us, alive and breathing. Bella was sitting in my lap with her arms and legs wrapped tightly around me. She had her face buried in the crook of my neck and I could feel her tears falling. How in the hell could they have done that to her?

The air was tense and filled with unanswered questions, accusations, and raw emotions. Bella had been dragged through hell over the last two years. Not that her brothers hadn't too but Bella had been the one who suffered the most. I was so fucking pissed off with them for putting her through two years of shit. Not only had they let her, let all of them think they were dead, but they stood there and let them cart Bella off to the crazy house. What kind of parent would sit back and let them send their daughter to a fucking mental hospital like that just to save their own asses?

It felt like we had been in the van for hours when it finally stopped again. Charlie climbed out of the back and met Peter and Sam around the back. They whispered something to each other but I couldn't make out what it was. After a moment, Charlie looked back at us.

"Ok, we need to move as quickly as we can here. Just follow us to the plane."

"Where are you taking us?" asked my father.

"I can't tell you," sighed Charlie, shaking his head. "Just trust me."

"Fat chance of that happening," muttered Carlisle.

Charlie didn't say anything else as Nolan and Corrine climbed out. Renee climbed out next, moving so that she was standing next to Charlie. Nobody else moved. I knew they didn't trust them anymore than I did. After a moment though, my father sighed and slid out, pulling my mother after him. Carlisle and Esme went next followed by Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice. I tightened my arms around Bella as I slid across the floor of the van and climbed out of the van.

"Bella-"

"Leave her alone," snapped Carlisle, interrupting his mother. "Not a one of us gives a shit what you think, feel, or want."

Corrine frowned as Nolan pulled her behind Charlie as he led us over to the plane. I set Bella back on her feet so we could board. Her parents both reached out for her as she passed them but she pulled back from them. I wrapped my arm around her and shielded her the best I could as we headed to the back of the plane away from everyone.

Her parents settled in the front of the plane with Peter, James, Victoria, Charlie, Renee, Sam, Garrett, Kate, Ben, Angela, Jacob, and Ness. My parents, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rose settled into a group of seats across from me and Bella, who climbed into my lap and nestled herself into my embrace. I would do everything I could to keep her safe from everyone, including her parents.

)&(

Somewhere around twelve hours later, the plane started to descend. We still had no clue on where we were being taken. Every time someone asked, we were told that we didn't need to know. What a load of horseshit. As soon as the plane came to a complete stop, we were ushered off the plane. The first thing I noticed was that wherever in the hell we were, it was hotter than hell and incredibly humid. The next thing I noticed was that we seemed to be in the middle of some kind of tropical island or something.

A few minutes later the van we had been forced into, pulled up in front of a series of small building. We unloaded out of the van and looked around. It looked like it was some kind of run down resort that hadn't been visited for at least ten years, if not longer. It looked like a shit hole.

"Ok, girls, we will house you over here," said Peter, gesturing to the building on the left. "Guys-"

"Rose, Alice, Esme, and Bella, you will be together and Emmett, Jasper, Edward, and I will be together," said Carlisle, interrupting Peter. "Ed and Elizabeth, you can take the room next to ours and we don't really give a shit where the rest of you stay as long as it's fucking far away from us."

"I want to stay with Edward," said Bella, looking over at her oldest brother. He scrunched up his face. "Car, please, I need him."

"I don't think it is acceptable for you two to share a room," said Corrine.

"I didn't fucking ask you," growled Bella.

"Don't use that kind of language, Isabella," scolded Nolan.

"You don't get to tell her what to do," I muttered.

"And you don't get to have an opinion here, young man," snapped Nolan.

"You don't get to talk to my son like that," hissed Elizabeth, moving so that she was standing between me and Nolan. She glared at him for a moment before she turned to Carlisle. "It's fine with me and Ed for them to share a room if you and your brothers are ok with it. We trust them."

"It's fine with me," muttered Jasper, holding Alice to his chest. "I'm staying with Alice."

"Fine by me too," said Emmett. "I'll be with Rose, anyway."

"Yeah, it's fine," sighed Carlisle. Esme bit her lip as she leaned into his embrace.

"I'm staying with you, Carlisle," murmured Esme. Carlisle just nodded.

"It's not up to them," grumbled Corrine. "I'm her mother."

"You are not my mother," yelled Bella. "My mother fucking died two years ago!"

Bella pulled out of my arms and took off running down the beach. Her parents stepped like they were going to follow her but Elizabeth and Ed pushed them both backwards. They both stumbled back with shocked looks on their faces.

"Edward, go to her," ordered my mother. I nodded as I turned and followed Bella. "She is not your daughter anymore, you vile…"

My mother's voice trailed off I took off down the beach. I did hear her calling Corrine something along the lines of being an ugly bitch who needs to get their head out of her ass while my father said something about kicking anyone's ass who dared mess with his family and that that included Bella. God, I loved my parents.

I found Bella in a crumpled heap in the sand. I fell to my knees next to her and pulled her into my lap, once again holding her as she cried. Bella gripped my t-shirt in her hand and held onto me. I wasn't sure what to say or do. All I really could do right now was hold her and make sure she knew that I wasn't going to leave her.

"People back home are going to talk," said Bella, after several minutes. She moved so that she was sitting in the sand next to me. I kept my arm wrapped around her waist.

"I'm sure they will," I muttered, looking out over the water. "I was really wanting to kick Mike ass again. I knew it was only going be a matter of time before he did or said something to deserve it. I feel rather disappointed now."

"Me too," chuckled Bella, darkly. For a moment, she didn't say anything else. "How could they do that to me? To my brothers."

"I don't know," I said, softly.

"When I was in that tiny, little cubby hole…" Bella paused as she took a deep breath.

"It's ok, love," I whispered.

"It's not ok," she cried. "Every fucking night for two years, I relived that one night over and over and over. Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper would have to come in and hold me down to stop me from hurting myself. Every morning I would wake up thinking that those men where coming back for me. I was afraid they would kill my brothers, Edward. They were all I had. I pushed them away and I called them so many names, Edward."

"They don't blame you," I said, tightening my hold on her.

"I know they don't," muttered Bella. "You're parents are really going to hate me now."

"No, they won't," I sighed, shaking my head.

Bella and I sat on the beach for a little while longer, just watching the waves beat up against the shore. After a while though, we had to head back to the others. They were bound to get worried if we didn't get back to them soon. I pulled Bella up to her feet and dragged her up the beach back to where our rooms were. My parents, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice were sitting outside one of the houses. They all looked up as we came up to them.

"You ok, Bell?" asked Jasper.

"No, Jas, I'm not," muttered Bella. "You?"

"No," snorted Jasper. "I am far from being ok right now."

"Me too," muttered Emmett, darkly. "Stupid assholes."

Bella and I settled on one of the wood benches that faced the others. Rose had her hand on Emmett's back, rubbing small circles in it. He looked over at her and smiled before looking back at the ground. Alice was sitting in Jasper's lap, running her fingers through his unruly hair. Esme was leaning against Carlisle. She had one of her arms looped in with his and was rubbing his arm. He turned and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"So…" trailed off Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, Ed, I feel like we should apologize for getting you, Esme, and Edward mixed up in this," said Carlisle, shaking his head. "Needless to say, this was not how we envisioned spending our time."

"Carlisle, we don't blame any of you for this," said Ed as we all looked up at him.

"You don't?" asked Bella. "Even though Edward and Esme wouldn't be stuck here if they hadn't…"

"What?" he asked. "Fallen in love?"

"Love?" asked Emmett, snapping his head up at me and Bella, who blushed. "Bell, you love him?"

"That's not the point, Em," muttered Bella, pulling her knees up.

"No, Bella, I don't blame any of you," smiled my father as I slipped my arm around her. "Especially not you. You were a kid, a child. They should have thought about what they were doing to you when they made the decision to lie to you. They were wrong and I'm sorry they hurt you."

"I just don't understand what the hell they were thinking," grumbled Emmett. Bella leaned over and laid her head on my shoulder. From the corner of my eye, I saw my mother smile. "How could they let us think that they had been…Then to let Bell think that…I'm just so fucking pissed off."

"Me too, Em," whispered Bella. "I blamed myself for so long."

"What?" asked Jasper as he, Emmett, and Carlisle all looked over at her. "Bell, why would you blame yourself?"

"Because I sat there and listened to those men killing them," cried Bella. I pulled her into my lap. "I know that logically that I wouldn't have been able to help them and I would have ended up dead but…to hear her screaming for them not to hurt her…"

"Bella, honey, why didn't you tell us that was how you felt?" asked Rose.

"Because I was barely hanging on as it was and I was afraid that you would send me back to that place," whispered Bella. "I couldn't go back there. So I just…trained harder and tried to push it back so you wouldn't see."

"You should have told us that's how you were feeling," said Emmett.

"I didn't want to lose you guys, too," cried Bella. "Ren had left and you three were all I had left."

"Bella, you are never going to lose us," said Carlisle, moving over and pulled her out of my lap and into his own. "We aren't going to let anyone hurt you again. Ever."

"Yeah, Bell," whispered Jasper, moving to them and pushing the hair out of her face. "You're my baby sister and I would never leave you."

"God, you are so fucking stubborn, Bella," grumbled Emmett, pulling her into his arms. "Get this through that thick head of yours. We aren't leaving you, ever. Unlike some people, we would never hurt you."

"I know," murmured Bella. "If you ever repeat this, I will have to kick your asses but…well, I fucking love you."

"We know," laughed Carlisle. "And we love you, too."

"Yeah, Bell," laughed Alice, hugging her. "You're like my fouled mouth little sister."

"Ugh, this is getting gross," laughed Bella, moving away from all of them.

"Oh, come on, Bella," snickered Rose. "Don't you want to have a group hug?"

"NO!" yelled Bella, laughing hard.

Everyone laughed as they sat back down in their seats. For several minutes, nobody spoke. We all seemed to be lost in the our own thoughts or maybe we just didn't know what else to say right now. It wasn't until Emmett started chuckling that the silence was broken.

"Em, what's so funny?" asked Jasper.

"I was just thinking that Bella never denied loving the boy," smirked Emmett. Jasper, Rose, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme all looked over at us and simultaneously cocked an eyebrow at us.

"Well?" asked Alice, smiling. "Do you love him, Bella?"

"It's getting late," muttered Bella, standing up. "We should get to bed."

"Yeah," I mumbled, standing up next to her. "Night all."

"Answer her, Bella," yelled Jasper as Bella pulled me down toward our room. She stopped in the doorway and looked back at them.

"YES!" she yelled. She threw open the door and pulled me in to the room. As she shut the door, I heard her brothers all laughing and yelling for her to come back. "That was awkward."

"Yes, it was," I smiled, pulling her into my arms. "I love you, too."

"But I love you more," she said, leaning up and kissing me.

"Not possible," I mumbled against her lips.

"Trust me when I say that I love you more, Edward," whispered Bella. "I couldn't… I wouldn't be able to handle this if I didn't have you."

"You will always have me, Baby," I whispered, kissing her again. "Always."

As Bella pulled away, I thought I heard her whispered that she hoped so. Bella pulled her jeans off and climbed into the bed wearing just her t-shirt. I tugged my jeans off and climbed in next to her. She leaned over and laid her head on my chest. I ran my fingers through her hair until she drifted off to sleep. As I drifted off, I heard her murmur my name and beg me not to leave her. I would have to make sure she knew I was here for good.


	31. Chapter 31

31

I was shaken awake the next morning when I felt the bed shift. Slowly opening my eyes, I looked over to see Bella sitting on the side of the bed. She stretched and her shirt rose up just enough to show me the edge of her toned back. I reached over and pulled her back down on the bed, causing her to laugh.

"Where do you think you are going?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow at her.

"I was going to go to the bathroom," smirked Bella. "I need to pee."

"I guess I can let you do that," I sighed, letting her go.

"Let me," snorted Bella, climbing off the bed. "You couldn't stop me if you tried."

I laughed softly as she walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind her but she was right. As hard as it was for me, as a man, to admit, Bella was stronger than I was. She was a better fighter and she had fists made of iron but I also knew that she would never hurt me. A moment later I heard the toilet flush and the water turn on as she washed her hands.

The door opened and my breath caught in my chest. She looked beautiful as she crossed the room in just her t-shirt and panties. I could see her nipples poking against the cotton of her t-shirt. Her brown and purple hair was flowing around her shoulders, framing her face. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever met. She climbed onto the bed and nestled herself right up next to me.

"Better?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her.

"It is now," murmured Bella.

"Did you sleep ok?" I asked.

"Yeah," whispered Bella. "I expected to have nightmares all night but I didn't. I dreamed of you all night long."

"I dreamed of you, too," I murmured, pressing my lips to the side of her head.

"Do you ever think about the future?" asked Bella.

"I guess," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Do you?"

"I didn't for a long time," said Bella, sitting up with her knees folded under her as she faced me. "After…everything, I was doing good just to make it through the day. I thought about ending it all more than once."

"I figures as much," I muttered, frowning. It hurt to think about a world where Bella doesn't exist. "Do you still?"

"No," said Bella. "Ok, this is going to sound really teenage girl-like so just bare with me, k?"

"Ok," I chuckled. "You do know you are a teenage girl, don't you?"

"Technically, I am a teenager but I haven't really felt like the average teen girl…ever," snorted Bella. "Now, hush and let me get all mushy, ok?"

"Ok," I laughed.

"So that first day of school, I had heard about you from the gossips whores that go to our school," started Bella. "Honestly, I was about ready to kick all their asses because I figured you were just another of those mindless assholes who would kiss that Mallory bitches ass, you know?"

"I do," I admitted.

"Well, after hearing about you all morning, I resisted the urge to gauge out my own eyeballs and settled for just making my way through the cafeteria and settling on my wall and finally getting some fucking piece of quiet. It would have worked if I hadn't seen you staring at me," sighed Bella, shaking her head.

"Okay," I said, slowly. "This isn't sounding very good right now."

"Just listen," laughed Bella. I loved hearing her laugh.

"Ok, but lay down next to me," I ordered, pulling on her arm. Bella rolled her eyes but laid down. "As you were saying."

"So when I looked up and saw you sitting there with the Stepford bitches, I felt this feeling inside of my gut. I mean, I knew you didn't belong with them," said Bella, snorting.

"How?" I asked, propping myself up on my elbow.

"Um, you were wearing a Zeppelin shirt," laughed Bella. "They don't listen to anyone other than Justin Beiber and the soundtrack from High School Musical."

"True," I chuckled.

"So like I was saying, I knew you didn't belong with them but I was really trying to ignore the tingling feeling in my gut. Then you took that seat next to me in Bio," sighed Bella, shaking her head. "I would have been ok then if you hadn't talked to me."

"Talked to you?" I asked, smiling as I slid my hand across her stomach.

"Yes, your voice is sexy as hell, Baby," smiled Bella, blushing softly.

"So it yours," I whispered.

"Anyway," said Bella, taking a deep breath. "I kept telling myself to just ignore you and that you would leave me alone like everyone else was. Then we got to gym and I saw that bitch with her hands all over you. I felt jealous and I didn't understand why."

"God, I wanted to claw my skin off every time she or Jessica touched me," I shuddered.

"I know," laughed Bella. "That's why I pushed her into you."

"What?" I asked.

"I thought that if I pushed her onto you that I wouldn't care about you but I was a fucking idiot because the moment I saw her in your arms, I wanted to gauge out her eyes," admitted Bella, sheepishly.

"Huh?" I snorted, shaking my head. "She was repulsive. Regardless if you had ever given me the time of day, I would never had been with a skank like that."

"I know that now," laughed Bella. "But at the time, I didn't."

"Oh, ok," I chuckled.

"All I could think of was getting back to the gym cause I was really needing to work out," said Bella, continuing on with her ramblings. "Of course, you had to come up behind me while I was working on my bike."

"You seemed scared," I muttered.

"I was scared," she admitted. "But that was because I had gotten so used to keeping people, even my own family, away from me that I didn't understand why I couldn't do that with you. When I first moved to Forks, a few people reached out to me. Well, Angela, Ben, Kate, and Garrett mostly but I guess they were just playing me, too."

"Both of us," I murmured.

"Yeah, both of us," frowned Bella. She shook her head and tried to smile. "Anyway, so I went home that night and just focused on my fighting. My brothers could tell something was wrong but I couldn't very well tell them that I had a crush on you. They never would have let me live it down. Plus, I didn't really know I had a crush on you."

"You had a crush on me?" I asked teasing her. "I knew you liked me even then."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Masen," snorted Bella. "When I went to school the next day, I had vowed that I was going to ignore you but I guess you saw what nobody else saw."

"The scratches," I murmured.

"The scratches," echoed Bella, rolling into my embrace. "I figured they would turn you away."

"Never," I whispered.

"I left school and went down to First Beach and hung out. I couldn't take the chance of you questioning me again about the scratches on my arm," said Bella. "I would have been ok if you hadn't turned up at my gym."

"You didn't want me there," I said, softly.

"No, I didn't," she admitted, "but it's because I was scared, Edward."

"I know," I whispered, running my fingers up and down her back. "I was too."

"You were scared?" she asked, looking up at me. I nodded my head. "Why?"

"Because I wasn't used to letting people in either, Bella. I had Esme but she was all I had. When you move around all the time, you learn to keep people at a distance," I explained.

"I guess we both failed at doing that with each other, huh?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah, but I couldn't stay away from you if I wanted to," I murmured, bringing up one of my hands and stroking her cheek. "I think I've loved you since the moment I saw you storming into the cafeteria."

"Me too," whispered Bella.

I rolled Bella onto her back so that I was laying partially on her. I kept my hand on her cheek as I leaned down and captured her lips with mine. Bella moved her hands to my chest and fisted my t-shirt. She swiped at my bottom lips, asking for entry into my mouth. I eagerly parted my lips and let her tongue in, moaning as she deepened the kiss. I would never get tired of kissing her, ever.

I slid my hand down the side of her body, letting my fingers graze the side of her breast. I moved my hand over her hip and down to her thigh. Moving my lips to her neck, I pulled her leg up and hook it over my hip. I could feel my dick straining against the thin material of my boxer briefs. I could feel the warm heat coming from Bella's pussy and it was driving me insane.

"Fuck, Edward," moaned Bella, lifting her hips and pressing herself against me. "I can feel you."

"I can feel you, too, Baby," I groaned. "You feel so fucking good."

"Touch me," she gasped, breathlessly. I pulled my lips from her neck and looked down at her.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes," she whispered. "I need you to touch me."

I didn't say anything as I slid my hand up her leg until I reached the elastic band on her panties. I slipped my fingers inside and moaned. She was so wet. I pulled my fingers out and brought them up to my lips. Fuck, she tasted so good. I leaned up on my knees and hooked my fingers into the side of her panties.

"Are you sure?" I asked, once again.

"Yes," smiled Bella, lifting her hips.

I slid her panties down over her wet sex and down her legs. I moaned as I saw her glistening folds. Bella pulled off her t-shirt, leaving herself completely naked. Taking a deep breath, I tugged off my own shirt and let it drop next to hers on the floor. I leaned down and started kissing my way up her leg. The closer I got the more I could smell her arousal. She smells sweet and musky at the same time. As I reached the apex between her legs, I looked back up at her. Bella was watching me with hooded eyelids. I could feel the want, the pure lust rolling off of her. I pushed her legs further apart and leaned down, giving her pussy one slow lick.

"Edward," cried Bella, propping herself up on her elbows as she looked down at me. "Fuck, that feels good."

"You taste so fucking good," I growled.

I slipped my fingers up and parted her folds and thrust my tongue into her. Bella moaned and gripped the sheet on the bed tightly in her hand. She tasted like heaven, sweet and amazing. I knew in this moment that I could live forever between her legs, feasting on her. I pushed one of my fingers into her as I moved my lips to her clit, sucking it in between my lips.

"FUCK!" screamed Bella, shaking as she came hard.

I buried my face in her and lapped up every little drop. I rolled over and laid down on the bed next to her, smiling like a fool but, damn, she just tasted amazing. Bella moved over so that she was straddling my thighs, rubbing her pussy on my legs. Yep, my cock was rock hard. Her nipples were so hard they would probably cut glass.

"That was amazing, Baby," smiled Bella, leaning forward and kissing me. I could feel her breasts rubbing against my chest. She pulled her lips away from mine only to press them down on my chest. "Now it's my turn to taste you."

"You don't have to…fuck, Bella," I groaned as she swirled her tongue around my nipple.

"I know I don't have to," smirked Bella, kissing her way down until she was at the top of my boxers. She ran her hand along the outline of my erection, causing me to hiss in pleasure. "But I want to."

I certainly wasn't going to argue with the woman who just let me feast away on her sweetness. Besides, what teenage boy is going to complain about getting a blowjob from his girl. Certainly not me. Bella hooked her thumbs into the side of my boxers and I lifted my hips so she could shimmy them off. My cock sprang out and slapped against my stomach.

"Fuck me," muttered Bella, dropping my boxers in the floor. "You're fucking huge."

"Why, thank you," I smirked. Bella rolled her eyes as she reached up and wrapped her hand around my shaft. As soon as her warm hand surrounded me, I felt my cock get even harder. "Fuck, Bella."

"Tell me what to do," she whispered, looking up at me.

"Grip me tighter," I urged. I felt Bella tighten her hand on me as she started stroking me. "Yeah, baby, just like that."

Bella leaned down and ran her tongue over the tip of my dick. I slammed my hand onto the bed, fisting the sheet like she had done. Shit, that felt good. Bella opened her mouth and sucked the head of my cock into her mouth. My eyes rolled back and I felt my cock twitch. Her mouth was perfect. Bella slowly pulled more of my cock into her mouth until I felt myself hit the back of her throat.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I muttered. "So fucking good."

Bella just moaned as she started bobbing up and down on my cock. She was only about to take about half of me into her mouth but, goddamn, if it didn't feel amazing. She wrapped her hand around what she couldn't fit in her mouth and start rubbing me. I could already feel myself getting ready to cum.

I didn't mean to but I found myself moving my hand to the back of Bella's head, guiding her as she sucked on my cock. My balls felt like they were about to explode and the burning feeling in my gut was growing and growing. I tried to push it off but I couldn't.

"Baby, move, I'm gonna cum," I urged. Bella quickly popped my cock out of her mouth and I growled as I shot my load on my stomach. "Fuck, Bella, that was incredible."

"You liked it?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

"No, I fucking loved it," I smiled. "Thank you."

"I liked it, too," muttered Bella, blushing. "We should get cleaned up."

"Yeah," I smiled.

Bella and I climbed out of the bed and headed into the bathroom. We quickly showered, even though we didn't have any soap or shampoo. At least we rinsed off a little bit. We dried off and headed back into our room. Of course, it was then that we both realized that we didn't have any other clothes to wear either. We shared a look as we pulled on our clothes from floor.

Once we were both dressed, we went over and pulled open the door only to find several bags worth of clothes sitting in front of the door. We picked them up and brought them back inside. There was a note attached to one of the bags from Kate and Angela.

"Well, I suppose it's better than nothing," grumbled Bella.

"Suppose," I muttered.

Bella and I quickly sorted through everything and changed into clean clothes. It was kind of weird to be wearing underwear that Kate and Angela picked out for me but at least they were clean and they fit. I pulled on a pair of black cotton shorts and a gray t-shirt while Bella pulled on a pair of red cotton shorts and a black tank top.

We headed out of our room and down to the dining area that was pointed out to us yesterday when we got here. We walked in hand in hand and saw Bella's parents sitting at one table with Renee and Charlie while her brothers, my sister, my parents, Rose, and Alice were sitting clearly on the other side of the room.

"Bella, sit with us," said Corrine.

"Fuck off," muttered Bella as we walked right past them. We settled in a couple of empty seats at with the others, who were snickering to themselves over Bella's choice of words.

"Morning, Sweetheart," smiled Elizabeth. "Did you two sleep good?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said, slipping my arm around Bella's shoulders.

"Bell, any nightmares?" asked Carlisle.

"No, I didn't have any nightmares over our dead parents, Carlisle," said Bella, loud enough for her parents to hear her. "First time in two years that I've slept through the night like that. Must have been because Edward was holding me all night."

"Bella-"

"I'm fucking starving," said Bella, interrupting her father's attempt to talk to her.

"Me too," I chuckled.

"Well, let me get my kids some breakfast," smirked Elizabeth, standing up and looked over at Bella's parents. "Bella, sweetheart, would you like some eggs?"

"She doesn't like eggs," piped up Corrine.

"Yes, Elizabeth, I would love some eggs," said Bella, looking up at my mother. She turned back to her mother. "You don't fucking shit about what I like or don't like."

"I raised you for fifteen years, Isabella," muttered Corrine. "She's known you a handful of days."

"Yet, she wasn't the one who lied to me and let them send me to a fucking nuthouse," yelled Bella, standing up. She pulled on my hand. "I'm not so hungry anymore."

"Me either," I muttered.

"Bella, how many times are we going to have to apologize before you forgive us?" sighed Nolan.

"I would say until Emmett turns gay," Bella smarted off.

"And that shit ain't happening," snorted Emmett.

Bella led me outside of the dining hall as we heard everyone laughing and down the beach. I really wish her fucking parents would just leave her the fuck alone. Did they really think that they could just say 'Gee, I'm sorry' and everything was going to be ok? Did they just not understand the depths of hell that Bella has been through?


	32. Chapter 32

32

"I'm fucking starving," muttered Bella, falling back into the sand.

I chuckled softly as I laid back next to her. It's been an hour since we stormed out of the dining hall, leaving the perfectly good food behind us. Just one more thing we can thank Bella's fucking ass parents for. As my stomach growled, I rolled onto my side and looked at her.

"You want to go back?" I asked.

"No," grumbled Bella, looking at me. Her eyes narrowed. "What the fuck do you want?"

"We wanted to talk to you before we left," said Angela. I snapped my head around to see her, Garrett, Ben, and Angela behind us.

"I don't think we have anything to say to you," I growled.

"Edward-"

"Shut the fuck up, Ben. You pretended to be my friend," I snapped, interrupting him. He ignored me as he plopped down onto the beach in front of me and Bella. Garrett, Kate, and Angela joined him. "What part of leave us alone, don't you get?"

"Was it all a lie?" asked Bella. All of us looked over at her as she sat up, knees pulled to her chest. "Are you eighteen? Did you ever want to be my friend or was this just another assignment to you?"

"We aren't eighteen," said Angela, honestly. "Kate and I are twenty and Garrett and Ben are twenty-one."

"And, yes, we wanted to be your friend," added Kate.

"But it did start out as just an assignment," said Garrett. Bella shook her head as she looked away.

"I should have known," she muttered. "Can't trust anyone anymore. Did you know about them still being alive?"

"All we were told was to watch you," said Kate. I slipped my arm around Bella's waist, pulling her closer to me. "We are junior agents, Bella. They told us that we were to watch out for you and make sure that nobody bothered you."

"Well, you did a shitty ass job," snorted Bella.

"We tried," huffed Garrett. "But damn, those little bastards were fucking brutal with all the shit they would say to you."

"No shit," scoffed Bella, looking back at them. "Where are we?"

"We're not suppose to tell you," said Ben.

"More secrets, more lies," I grumbled.

"We are on a private island off the coast of Brazil," said Kate, ignoring the looks from Garret and Ben. Angela seemed to just accept that we should know where we were taken. "I know you don't believe anything we say, and I guess I can understand why you wouldn't, but this is for your protection."

"Our protection," seethed Bella. "None of this has been for my protection or Edward's protection. I trusted you guys. I thought that you were my friends. You have no idea how hard it was for me to let you in and you just sat there on those mats and…"

"Look, we don't like this anymore than you do," grumbled Ben. "How were we supposed to do our jobs when we weren't told everything? They didn't even tell us about the boxing!"

"That was kind of obvious when you thought I was beating her," I muttered.

"What were we supposed to think, Edward?" asked Angela. "You both came to school looking like you just came back from the war. We weren't told anything except that you were going away for the weekend and that they had you covered."

"It's not your fault," muttered Bella. "We were just a job to you, right?"

"That's not true, Bella," insisted Kate, reaching for her but Bella flinched back and Kate pulled her hand back. "Look, we care about you and Edward."

"So you said you were leaving," said Bella, ignoring Kate's comments. "Are you going back to Forks?"

"We don't know where we are being sent," said Garrett. "Just that we are being reassigned."

"Oh," whispered Bella.

"Bella, we are so sorry for everything," frowned Kate.

"I'm sure you are but it doesn't make it better that the four of you lied to me for months," said Bella, standing up. She pulled me to my feet. "Good luck with…whatever."

Bella pulled on my hand and I followed her as we moved further down the beach. I slipped my hand out of hers and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer into my side. I'm not sure what Garrett, Kate, Ben, and Angela were expecting for us. They had lied to us, both of us, but even more than that, Bella had just let them in. They would never understand how hard it was for her to take the chance and tell them about that night.

"I think I want to go swimming," said Bella, looking up at me. I burst out laughing and shook my head. "What? It's fucking hot out here!"

"No, it's just that that was so fucking random," I snorted through my laughter.

"I'm a random kind of girl," smiled Bella. "You in?"

"We don't have swimming suits," I smirked, wiggling my eyebrows at her.

"I don't see that as a problem," said Bella, returning my smirk.

Bella's smirk grew as she pulled off her shirt, dropping it in the sand. My eyes of course were focused on her boobs that were barely being contained in the lace white bra she was wearing. She slid her hands into her shorts and pulled them down her legs, causing my mouth to fall open with each delicious inch of skin that was shown. I know that I saw her naked this morning, but fuck, she was so fucking beautiful.

"You coming?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow as she walked backwards toward the water, wearing nothing more than her bra and panties.

"Almost," I muttered.

Bella laughed as she turned and ran into the water. I quickly, much faster then I normally would be able to, stripped off my shirt and shorts and followed her out. I expected the water to be cold but it was surprisingly warm. I ran behind her and swept her into my arms. Bella squealed as I fell backwards in the water.

"Fuck, this water feels good," smiled Bella, wrapping her arms and legs around me. My cock was rock hard and rubbing against the outside of her panties.

"That's not all that feels good," I moaned, pressing my lips to her neck.

"Can I ask you something?" she whispered, leaning away from me.

"Of course you can," I said. She looked very worried about whatever was on her mind. "Baby, what are you thinking?"

"Well, I was just wondering…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Why is this so hard?"

"Bella, talk to me," I said, seriously. "You're kind of scaring the shit out of me."

"Have you ever been with another girl?" she asked, quietly.

"Are you asking me if I'm a virgin?" I asked. She nodded her head quickly. "Yes, I am."

"You are?" she asked, looking completely surprised.

"Why does that surprise you?" I asked.

"Well, it's just…" she paused and took another deep breath. "You seemed to know what you were doing this morning when you…you know and…"

"Oh," I muttered, embarrassingly. "I've never done that before."

"But how did you know what to do?" she asked.

"Let's just say that I've watched a lot of porn," I muttered, turning bright red.

"Oh," said Bella, eyes popping wide open. "Wow, um…"

"Look, I'm not proud of it, Bella, but I was lonely and horny…" I groaned. "Fuck, I had to do something."

"I'm not mad," laughed Bella.

"Don't laugh at me," I muttered.

"I'm not," said Bella, chuckling. I gave her a pointed look. "Ok, so maybe I am but I'm just surprised, I guess."

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't know," laughed Bella, blushing. "You were really good."

"Thanks," I smirked.

"God, you really are a dork," snorted Bella.

"But you still love me," I smiled.

"But I still love you," murmured Bella.

Bella and I spent about another hour in the water just holding on to each other, talking, kissing. A lot of kissing. I would never get tired of kissing my girl. We headed back up to the shore and pulled our clothes back on over our wet underwear. Bella slipped her hand into mine as we made our way back up to the cabins or villas. I wasn't really sure what in the hell they were since we hadn't be told exactly where we were. When we got back up to the villas, we found Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice sitting outside. They all looked up at us and started laughing.

"Where in the hell have you two been and why are you soaking wet?" asked Rose.

"We were swimming," said Bella, shrugging her shoulders. "It's good exercise."

"Sure it is," snickered Alice.

"Is it safe to go eat or are they still there?" asked Bella, ignoring Alice.

"They left after you did," muttered Carlisle, dryly.

"After they tried to force us to sit down and have a mature conversations with them, as Nolan put it," grumbled Jasper.

"Fucking assholes," spat Bella.

"That they are," muttered Emmett.

"Well, we are going to grab some lunch," said Bella, pulling me toward the dining hall.

"We'll join you," said Esme.

The six of them followed me and Bella down to the dining hall. Luckily, nobody else was there. Bella and I made us a each a sandwich and grabbed some fruit. We had just settled back down at the table when the doors opened to the dining hall and Nolan, Corrine, Charlie, Renee, and the rest of the assholes came in. I felt Bella stiffen in her seat next to me. I slid my arm around her back and pulled her chair a little closer to me.

"Bella, have you eaten?" asked Corrine.

"So, Car, I was thinking that we should start mine and Edward's training again," said Bella, ignoring her mother.

"Bella, I asked you a question," said Corrine.

"Sure, Bell," said Carlisle, smiling at his little sister before looking over at his parents. "Never know when you are going to need to beat the fucking shit out of someone who just will not leave you alone, do you?"

"Nope," said Bella, popping the 'p' before she took a big bite of her sandwich.

"Look, we need to sit down at a family and talk about this," said Renee.

"We," said Jasper, gesturing to me, Bella, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rose, " are a family. You and your…lying bastard of a husband and those people we used to call our parents are not included in that group."

"You guys are being a bunch of fucking babies," snapped Renee. I felt Bella tense up as she threw her half-eaten sandwich on the table. God, she was never going to get to eat if they kept this shit up.

"Bella-"

"Babies?" asked Bella, standing up and turning to face her sister. "We're being babies because we are pissed the fuck off after finding out that the last two years of our lives were nothing but a fucking ass lie?"

"Yes," said Renee, folding her arms in front of her chest. I could see Bella shaking as she stood there. I stood up and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Don't fucking touch my daughter," yelled Nolan.

"I am not your fucking daughter," seethed Bella. I pulled her back as she stepped toward him. "Don't you two fucking get it? You put me through hell. You have no idea what I went through."

"Yes, we do," insisted Corrine as my parents came in. They both froze when they saw the stand-off between Bella and her parents. "Renee kept us up to date on everything."

"Then you don't know shit," fumed Emmett. "She wasn't fucking there. She didn't have to listen to Bella screaming in her sleep every night for those bastards not to hurt you anymore."

"She didn't have to go into Bella's room every night and hold her down so she wouldn't hurt herself," said Jasper, letting a tear fall down his face. He wiped it away, furiously. "She would beg us to help her but we couldn't."

"Renee didn't see her nearly run herself into the ground because the only thing she could control was her training," said Carlisle. "Renee wasn't there to deal with the any of the aftermath of your shit."

"That's not fair," muttered Renee. "I couldn't be there and be with Charlie. He needed me."

"I needed you, too, Ren," cried Bella. "I needed you and you left me just like they left me."

"I didn't want to, Bella," said Renee, crying as she stood up. "Don't you think I wanted to be there for you? Don't you think I wanted to tell you a million times that they were ok? I wish like hell I could have protected you, all of you, but I couldn't. Charlie's my life, Bella. Just like Edward is your's. I couldn't…I couldn't let him go. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't make a difference if you are sorry, Ren," said Bella, taking a deep breath. "You were my big sister and I need you but you chose him over me, over us."

"He's my husband," whispered Renee.

"I was your sister," muttered Bella. "But I didn't matter enough for you to even call and see how I was doing. You gave me up just like they did."

Bella pulled out of my arms and headed out of the dining hall. I made to go after her but Carlisle shook his head and ran after her. Emmett and Jasper both stood up and walked out after them, without saying a word to anyone. I looked over at Nolan and Corrine, who looked taken back by everything.

"Do you just not get it?" I asked. They both looked over at me. "You killed her soul."


	33. Chapter 33

33

**BPOV**

_Run faster, run harder_, I thought to myself as I ran down the beach. I kept running those words through my head as I pumped my arms and moved my feet as hard as I could. Everything that I thought I knew, turned out to be the biggest mind fuck of all. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that my parents, who were supposed to love me, faked their deaths and let me believe that I had heard them being butchered. Fuck, I hated them.

It used to be so simple, so easy. Even though I was the baby of the family, I never was treated like that. Whether it was my brothers, Renee, or one of the guys from the gym, I always had someone to hang out, to play with. My parents were the best and I knew it. When did it change? When did they get to the point where they were willing to let, not only me, but my brothers suffer for two fucking years thinking they were dead? Would they ever truly understand just how much they put us through?

My knees finally gave out on me and I fell down into the sand, sobbing once again for the life that was stolen from me. I wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to be back in Phoenix, or at least Forks. I was supposed to be getting ready for football games, homecoming dances, and college. I could remember Renee getting ready for her senior prom. I thought she looked like a princess and I was so jealous that she got to go out. When did she decide that I wasn't worth her time anymore? Was it after my parents betrayed us or before that?

The only people I could count on anymore were Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, Rose, Alice, Esme, and Edward. My brothers had been there for me every step of the way. They fought to keep me out of going to that nut house. No matter how frustrated they got with me, they never gave up on me. Emmett didn't leave me for Rose. Just like Jasper didn't leave me for Alice, not they would have asked them to. No, those two women , and now Esme, were more of a sister to me than Renee had been in a long time.

Then there is my sweet Edward, who loves me even though my family is cracking at the seams. My sweet Edward, who kept edging his way into my heart, even when I pushed him away. He made me feel beautiful and normal. He made me feel safe, even if it did cost him his life. He made me feel alive every time he placed his hands on my body, kissed my lips, or, hell, even looked at me. Would he ever truly know just how much I loved him?

"It's ok, Bell," whispered Carlisle, scooping me up and settling me on his lap. I threw my arms around my oldest brother, holding him as tightly as I could. I couldn't lose him too.

"Is she ok?" asked Emmett, plopping down next to us and placing his large hand on my back. I felt Jasper settled on the other side of us, laying his own comforting hand on me. Would my brothers ever know how much I loved them? How grateful I was for never giving up on me?

"As ok as she can be right now," murmured Carlisle.

"I hate them so much," muttered Jasper. I peeked over at him through the tangled mess that was my hair. He had tears swimming in his eyes as he focused on the ocean. "They just…act like they went on vacation and forgot to call. How can they just sit there and act like they know anything about what we've been through?"

"I don't know, Jas," sighed Emmett. I looked over at him as he pulled his knees up in front of him. "I've asked myself that question so many times over the last couple days. When did they get so selfish that putting their own needs before ours, before Bell's, became more important than her, than us?"

"Maybe we were just blind to it," suggested Carlisle, laying his cheek down on the top of my head. "I mean, maybe we didn't see it because we didn't want to see it. All those guys who came in and out of the gym all the time. Were they training them for this Omega Sector bullshit?"

"I was scared to let you too close to me," I whispered.

"What?" asked Carlisle. I moved so that I was sitting in the sand in front of them, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. "What are you talking about?"

"After…they died or whatever," I said, looking at anything but them, "I was afraid to let you guys in. I thought I was protecting you by keeping you at arms length."

"Protecting us from what?" asked Jasper.

"From me," I choked out, letting my tears fall freely. "I blamed myself for everything and I thought that if I let you in that I would end up hurting you or making you want to leave me, too. I thought that at least if I pushed you away first then at least it wouldn't hurt at much but it didn't work. You three are stubborn asses. You never gave up me, even when I called you every name in the book or hit you."

"We'll never leave you," said Emmett, grabbing my hand in his. "Never, Bella."

"I know that now," I whispered. "But Ren left and I thought they were dead. I was scared. I feel like such an idiot. They played me. Toyed with my emotions and it nearly drove me crazy. Maybe it did."

"Bell, they fooled us all," said Carlisle. "We all thought they were dead."

"But I was there," I argued.

"You were fifteen, Bell," said Jasper. I looked over at him. "You were scared and thought you were hearing them being raped and murdered. How were you supposed to know they weren't?"

"I don't know," I murmured, looking out at the ocean.

For several minutes, we didn't say anything. We just sat there in the white sand, listening to the waves as they beat against the shores of the small island that we were on. If we hadn't have been dragged here against our will by the very people who had helped ruin our lives, it would have been a nice place to come. But it wasn't nice, it was horrible.

"I'm hungry," I said. All three of my brothers burst out laughing. I look back at them. "Don't laugh at me. I haven't had a real meal all day. They keep fucking everything up for me."

"We know," snorted Carlisle. "It was just so random."

"Do you think it's safe to go back there?" I asked. "Cause I'm like one comment from kicking their asses."

"If they are still there, then we will grab some food and take it back to the villas," chuckled Emmett, standing up. He pulled me up to my feet, grinning widely. "Want a piggy back ride like I used to give you?"

"Yes," I smiled.

"Alright, hope on," he laughed, bending over.

I jumped onto my brothers back and wrapped my arms and as much of my legs as I could around his massive frame. He took off back up the beach and I squealed. I fucking squealed but for a split second, I felt like I was ten years old again. I could heard Carlisle and Jasper laughing behind us as we ran up the beach. When was the last time we all laughed together?

Emmett stopped outside of the dining hall, panting softly. I climbed off his back as Carlisle and Jasper both came up behind us.

"You are awfully winded there, Em," I teased. "Maybe you need to start running with me."

"Shut the fuck up, Bell," laughed Emmett, pushing open the door to the dining hall. Yep, the parents and the assholes with them were still there but Edward, Esme, Rose, Alice, Ed, and Elizabeth weren't. I guess they got tired of their shit, too. "Guess we are taking this shit to go."

"Yep," I muttered, following them in.

"Let's hurry," grumbled Jasper.

I followed my brothers over to the buffet table and grabbed a new sandwich, some more fruit, and a bottle of water. Once they had grabbed their food, we headed back over to the door. Renee jumped to her feet and ran over and stood in front of the door blocking our way out.

"Get the fuck out of the way," growled Carlisle.

"No, we are going to talk about this like adults," insisted Renee. I smirked as I shoved my food into Jasper's hands and stepped up in front of them.

"News flash, Bitch. I'm not a fucking adult," I spat. I reared back and threw a left roundhouse, hitting her square in the nose. She screamed as she crumbled to the floor. I looked back at Carlisle, who looked shocked but happy at the same time. "How was my roundhouse?"

"Still on the wide side," smirked Carlisle, looking over at our parents. "But I'm sure you will get more targets to practice on."

Emmett and Jasper both burst out laughing as they followed me and Carlisle out of the dining hall, leaving Renee curled up in the floor, crying over her now broken nose. It should have felt good to finally punch her but it didn't. Under it all, she was still my sister and I hated that I felt guilty for hitting her, even if she did deserve it.

I followed them down to the villas, where we found Rose, Alice, Esme, Ed, and Elizabeth sitting quietly. As we walked up and sat down around our lovers, I could feel all of their eyes on me, on us. Emmett pushed my food back into my hands and I silently began to eat my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Are you ok, Sweetheart?" asked Elizabeth, finally breaking the silence.

"Eh, I'm ok," sighed Emmett. I laughed and looked over at me brother. "What?"

"I'm pretty sure she was talking to me," I snorted. Emmett puckered his lips up and looked over at Elizabeth.

"Is that true?" he asked.

"Afraid so, Emmett," smiled Elizabeth. "But I do worry about you, too."

"Thanks," beamed Emmett, looking at our brothers, who were shaking their heads at him. "Don't be jealous. I'm sure she worries about you guys, too."

"Of course, I do," laughed Elizabeth. She shook her head and looked back at me. "Are you ok?"

"I don't really know," I said, quietly. "Maybe."

"Hmm," she hummed, leaning back.

I could tell she didn't know what to say anymore than I did. Edward slipped his arm around my shoulders and leaned over and kissed the side of my head. Almost like he was reminding me that he was there. Like I could forget that he was here. He was my everything. Emmett and Rose were sitting next to each other, wrapped around each other. They were whispering to each other, stealing kisses here and there. Rose had been a part of our family for a long time. Did she feel just as betrayed as we did?

I looked over at Jasper and Alice, who was sitting on my brother's lap. Neither of them were speaking but yet, they were saying so much. It had always been obvious how much they loved each other, relied on each other. They had met just after I was released from the nut house and yet, here she was with us. She was amazing.

From them, I looked over at Carlisle and Esme, whose love was as new and fresh as mine and Edward's. Esme was tucked into Carlisle's side, while he ran his hand up and down her back. Out of my three brothers, he sacrificed the most for me, for us. If our parents hadn't ruined our lives, he would be a doctor right now, working in some emergency room and saving peoples lives. Did he resent them for taking that away from him?

"We need you guys to join us back in the dining hall," said Peter, coming up to us. None of us spoke or really even moved. "Did you hear me?"

"Yeah, we heard you," muttered Ed, sliding his arm around his wife. "We just don't give a shit. We may have been forced to come to this island but you can't force us to do a goddamn thing."

"Look, I understand that you are pissed but-"

"Pissed really don't even begin to explain how we feel," snapped Elizabeth, standing up despite Ed's efforts to keep her down. Something told me she was firecracker. "You and your…people, have no clue the damage you have done to all of us. You think you can just play God and manipulate our lives. Well, you can't."

"It's important-"

"We don't care," muttered Carlisle. "Get the fuck out of here. My sister's trying to eat and I would like for her to be able to finish one meal without you all fucking it up."

"Look, you don't understand," sighed Peter, running his hands through his hair. "Aro Volturi is on his way here."


	34. Chapter 34

34

EPOV

"You guys are the worst fucking secret agents ever," I snorted, standing up.

"How in the hell did he fucking find us out in the middle of nowhere?" snapped my father, standing up next to me.

"Well, if you all will join us, I will explain," sighed Peter.

I rolled my eyes as I pulled Bella up and wrapped my arms around her. It didn't seem like we had much of a choice but to follow Peter. Everyone stood up and we reluctantly followed him back down to the dining hall. Of course, as soon as we walked into the large room, Nolan and Corrine locked their eyes onto my girl like the vultures they were. I wanted them to just leave her fucking alone.

The ten of us settled at our usual table in the corner as far away from all of them as we could get. Bella was practically glued to my side as we sat down. I bit back a snort when I saw Renee holding the ice pack up to her nose. It would seem my girl smacked her pretty good. Peter shut the door behind us all and moved so that he was standing in the middle of the room between the two groups.

"Ok, now that everyone is here," he said, gruffly as he looked right at us. Bella didn't miss a beat as she raised her left hand and flipped him off.

"Isabella," scolded Corrine. "Don't be rude."

"Fuck off," muttered Bella. "And my name is not Isabella. My name is Bella."

"Look, we don't have time for you guys to fight again," yelled Peter, sensing the argument that was brewing. "Aro Volturi and his team will be here in less than four hours and we have to figure out what we are going to do."

"We leave," said Ed, looking straight at the man.

"We can't," sighed Peter. "Our plane was taken to the main land for upkeep and won't be back until tonight. Aro will be here before then and he won't be alone."

"So we are stuck in the middle of the fucking ocean on an island that you brought us to, with a madman chasing after us," muttered Bella. "Gee, I feel so fucking safe."

"Isabella-"

"Speak to her again and I will come over there and beat your fucking face in," growled Carlisle, pointing at his father. "Get a fucking clue already. She doesn't want to speak to you."

"Car-"

"Actually, none of us what to speak to you," spat Jasper, slamming his hand onto the table. He rolled his eyes as he looked over at Peter, who looked frustrated. "How in the hell did he find out where we were? I thought you were supposed to be like James Bond or some shit."

"Because there was a mole," grumbled Peter.

"Who?" asked Bella. Peter sighed and looked over at her.

"One of our junior members. His name was Riley. He killed James and Victoria to get access to the control room," he muttered. That rotten rat bastard had turned against them and was playing both sides.

"James is dead?" asked Jasper, leaning back in his seat. I almost expected Bella to start crying over hearing that James and Victoria were dead but she didn't. "That can't be right. There's no fucking way he could be dead."

"It is," said Peter. "I caught Riley myself calling Aro and telling him where we were. It's how Aro found you at the boxing tournament in Seattle and why your parents had to fake their own deaths."

"This is so fucked up," muttered Bella, shaking her head.

"Where is that fucking traitor?" snapped Emmett, kicking his chair back as he stood up.

"He's been taken care of," said Peter, shrugging his shoulders. This ass acted like everything was just as normal as ever.

"Gee, that doesn't make me feel any safer, Pete," I sneered.

"Peter," he snapped. "And it's the best we can do until our plane gets back. Now, we have to move all of you to a bunker where you will be safe until we can take Aro down."

"Yeah, cause hiding worked out so well for me last time," muttered Bella, dryly.

"I know it didn't-"

"You know nothing," seethed Bella.

"You know, it's not like we meant for that to happen, Bella," snapped Peter, folding his arms in front of his chest. "We did everything we could to protect you and your parents but Riley betrayed us all and because he did, you all got hurt."

"Try to protect us," scoffed Bella, standing up and slamming her hands on the table. "How were you trying to protect us when those men broke into our house? If it wasn't for you, they wouldn't have been hurt and I wouldn't have been betrayed by them."

"That's not fair," grumbled Peter.

"NONE OF THIS IS FAIR!" screamed Bella. I stood up and wrapped my arms around her, trying to get her to calm down. "They were nearly killed because of all of you. They may have made the decision to let you lie to us, but you were the ones who nearly cost them their lives, as pathetic as they are."

"Isabella," started Corrine. Bella picked up the salt shaker for the table and threw it at her mother, striking her in the face. Corrine cried out and grabbed her nose.

"IT'S NOT ISABELLA FOR FUCK SAKE!" screamed Bella.

"Baby, calm down," I whispered, pulling her back into my embrace. She was so pissed off that she was shaking.

"So what do we do?" asked Elizabeth, standing up and moving around the table to me and Bella. She smiled at me as she pulled my girl into her arms and held her like a mother was supposed to.

"There are some underground bunkers on the other side of the island," explained Peter, placing his hands on his hips. "It's quite the hike but we can hide all of you there while we deal with Aro Volturi."

"Why should we trust you?" asked Ed, standing up. "You've done nothing but interfere with our lives, ordering us around, and causing trouble. What makes you think that we are going to trust you now?"

"Because you don't have a choice," said Peter. Bella pulled away from my mother and looked over at him.

"I am not hiding again," she said, firmly.

"Bella," sighed Peter.

"I will not hide again," cracked Bella. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into my chest.

"We will not hide," I murmured, laying my head on top of hers.

"Bella, you have to hide," said Nolan, standing up. "Please, honey, you have to hide."

"I don't have to do anything," said Bella, clutching the front of my t-shirt in her hands. "I certainly don't have to do anything you tell me to do."

"None of us are hiding," said Elizabeth, placing her hand on Bella's back. "We are sticking together."

"Look, you don't have a choice," snapped Peter. Ed laughed as he moved over and stood in front of our table.

"You don't talk to my family like that," growled Ed, folding his arms in front of his chests. "Now, my wife and my children, all my children, will be down at the villas while the rest of us take care of this little problem."

"Dad," said Esme, frantically. "You have to stay with us."

"Honey, I have to help," frowned Ed, looking back at my sister.

"Dad," I whispered, shaking my head.

"Son, I have to," he said, again. "I'll be ok. I promise."

"Ed, please, stay with us," whispered Bella, pulling away from me and going over to him. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. My father closed his eyes and hugged her back. "I can't lose another dad. Please?"

"Ok, Sweetheart," whispered Ed, rubbing her back. From the corner of my eye, I saw Nolan fall back into his seat with a look of pure pain etched on his face. "I'll stay with you."

"Look, we should take you to the bunkers," argued Peter, completely ignoring the scoffs that came from all of us.

"I agree," muttered Nolan, bitterly.

"Then I guess that settles it for us," said Carlisle, standing up with Esme next to him. "We will be down at the villas."

Without saying a word to them, Carlisle wrapped his arm around my sister and pulled her out of the dining hall. Jasper and Alice were next, followed by Emmett and Rose. My mother and I moved over to my father and Bella and followed them over to the door. Bella stopped and looked back at Corrine, Nolan, Charlie, and Renee.

"Be careful," she whispered.

She turned and headed out of the dining hall without another word to them or us. I ducked my head as I followed her out. Slipping my arm around her waist, we headed back down to the villas and everyone else. We headed into one of the villas and took a seat on the floor. Carlisle and Esme were sitting on the floor, whispering to each other, as were Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Rose. My parents came in and shut the door behind them, locking it and settling down on the floor with all of us.

For a long time, we didn't say anything. I wasn't sure if it was so much that none of us knew what to say in this moment or if it was simply that there wasn't anything to say. The past week had been the longest, most emotional journey for all of us. Would we get to go back to our lives after this? What would happen when we got there?

BPOV

When I was a little girl, maybe around the age of six, I came home from school bawling. I was an absolute mess. My mother was gone but my father was sitting in the living room. He looked up and came running over to me. He asked me what was wrong and I told him how a little boy at school had pulled my hair and told me I was ugly. My father pulled me into his lap and held me close to his chest. I could still remember the smell of his cologne. He whispered in my ear that when boys are mean to girls, it's because they like them. I didn't understand what he meant but he was my father and I believed everything he told me.

So when I went to school the next day, I was determined to stay as far away from that little boy as I could. However, he had different plans. At recess, he came over and pushed me down into the sidewalk and I scrapped my knee. Now, I had expected him to run off laughing about how he had hurt me but he didn't. He knelt down in front of me and held my hand while my teacher came over. She asked me what happened and I looked up at the little boy. There was a look in his eyes that begged me not to tell on him. So I lied and told her I tripped. She had the little boy help me up to the nurse's office, where she cleaned and bandaged my knee. When we headed back down to our classrooms, he thanked me for not telling on him. After that the little boy never bothered me again. That little boy was James.

When James was sixteen, Victoria started coming to the gym. She was a spirited girl who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. James fell for her hard but she wanted nothing to do with him. Then one night, about six months later, Victoria came into the gym visibly upset. James was immediately at her side and asked her what was wrong. Victoria buried her face in his chest and told him about how her grandmother had passed away. James held her while she cried and from that day on, they were together. Now, they were dead and all of this was because of Aro Volturi.

"Are you ok?" whispered Edward, leaning down to my ear.

"No," I whispered back, laying my head on his shoulder and nestling myself further into his embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Baby," murmured Edward, kissing the side of my head.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Cause you are sad and hurting. I don't know how to make you feel better," he frowned, leaning his forehead down on mine.

"This helps," I whispered, bringing my hand up to his cheek.

"If you two are going to start kissing, can you take it to the bathroom?" grumbled Emmett. Edward and I both laughed softly as we looked over at my brother. "Seriously, I've had enough trauma for one day without having to watch my baby sister sucking face with her boyfriend."

"Shut the fuck up, Em," I snorted. "How many times have I had to sit there and watch you and Rose making out?"

"Nobody said you had to just sit there and watch," smirked Rose, giving Bella a pointed look.

"Touché," I muttered.

"I have to agree with Emmett," said Esme, shuddering. "Just the thought of agreeing with him, hurts."

"Hey," laughed Emmett.

"I don't really need to see my little brother sucking face, either," giggled Esme, ignoring Emmett's scowl.

"Esme, what did you and Carlisle do on your date last week?" asked Edward, smirking at his sister. Esme turned bright red and looked around the room while Carlisle shifted uncomfortable in his seat. "That's what I thought."

"Esme, dear, do you and I need to have the talk?" asked Elizabeth, smirking as she looked over at her daughter.

"Mom!" screeched Esme.

"I was just asking," laughed Elizabeth.

Before anyone could say anything else, we heard a loud bang and several people screaming. I nestled myself further into Edward's arms, desperately clinging onto him. We could heard gun shots and loud bangs but not much else. We all just sat there in the mists of the war that was going on outside. As much as I hated my parents right now, I didn't want them to die. I didn't want Charlie and Renee to die, either. Would I end up losing them all over again? Would it make a difference if they survived this or not?

Just as quickly as the gunfire started, it stopped. The room we were in was thick with anticipation as we sat on the floor, waiting for Aro to come kill us all or the others to come tell us that everything was finally over. I'm not sure how long we had been sitting there, holding our collective breath when we heard the doorknob start turning.


	35. Chapter 35

35

EPOV

Just as quickly as the gunfire started, it stopped. The room we were in was thick with anticipation as we sat on the floor, waiting for Aro to come kill us all or the others to come tell us that everything was finally over. I'm not sure how long we had been sitting there, holding our collective breath when we heard the doorknob start turning.

Bella whimpered as she nestled herself further into my embrace. I could feel her body trembling and I knew she was experience the worst case of déjà vu. She put on such a brave face but she was barely hanging on. The door slowly creaked open and Peter came in, covered in dirt and grime. He sighed in relief either because we were ok or that we weren't screaming at him to get the hell away from us.

"It's over," he murmured.

"What does that mean exactly?" my father asked him, standing up with my mother tucked into his side. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice all looked nervous and scared at what that could mean. How many people on 'our' side were killed in this battle?

"I mean just what I said," said Peter, looking at all of us. His eyes stopped on Bella. "It's over. Aro Volturi and his goons are dead."

"I don't believe you," muttered Bella, standing up. "I want to see them."

"Bella, you don't need to see them," sighed Peter. I stood up next to her.

"I don't believe a word that comes out of your fucking mouth," snapped Bella. "I want to see their dead bodies."

"Bella-"

"Show her," I growled, pulling her back into my arms. "All you've done is lie to her and skirt around the truth. We need to know that he is actually dead."

"Look-"

"JUST FUCKING SHOW US!" yelled Carlisle.

"Fine," muttered Peter, clenching his jaw.

He didn't say another word as he turned and stormed out of the room. I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist and followed our family out of the villa. The air was even thicker outside than it was inside the small room we had hid in. You could almost taste the gunfire residue in the air. Bella nestled herself into me even more. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, even if this was the only way she would believe him.

Peter lead us down to the beach. As we approached, everyone stopped and looked at us, like we were freaks or something. I was relieved to see that Jacob and Nessie were ok, even if they were a couple of lying bastards. Peter led us over to a row of dead bodies. There were maybe fifteen men laying side by side in the sand with sheets and blankets covering them.

"Are you sure you want to see this?" asked Peter, looking back at us.

"I have to see it for myself," muttered Bella.

Peter sighed again and knelt down next to the first body. He reached out and pulled the sheet back. There laying on the ground with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead was Aro Volturi. Relief flooded my system. He was finally gone and wasn't going to be able to bother us anymore. Bella pulled away from me and went over to his dead body.

"Bella…"

Bella reared her foot back and started kicking the crap out of his dead body. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT. I'M GLAD YOU ARE DEAD, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"BELLA!" I yelled, wrapping my arms around her body. Her knees buckled and we dropped to the ground.

"It's all his fault," she sobbed, uncontrollably. "He ruined my life. I hate him so fucking much for taking everything from me."

"I know, baby," I murmured. "I know."

Bella turned in my arms, wrapping hers around my neck as tightly as she could. I stood up and lifted her so that she had her legs wrapped around my waist. Ignoring everyone around us, I carried her away from the dead men who had done everything but put a bullet into her. As I carried her back up toward our villa, Nolan and Corrine stepped in our way. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with either of them right now, even if I knew a part of Bella was glad they weren't dead. Did they just not get that they hurt her?

"Bella, honey, are you ok?" asked Corrine. Bella tensed up as she lowered her legs from around me. I tried to keep her next to me but she pulled out of my embrace and turned to her parents.

"Just leave me fucking alone," seethed Bella. They both flinched back at the sheer venom laced in her words. "Don't speak to me, don't even try to speak to me. Just leave me alone."

"Honey,-"

Corrine was interrupted when Bella reared back and threw her fist into her mother's face. I reached out to pull Bella back but she shoved me off of her and took her father down, pummeling him as hard as she could. I knew I should try to stop her again but I think a big part of her needed to do this so I stepped back and watched as she hit him over and over again.

Nolan just laid there in the sand, letting his youngest daughter hit him in the chest and gut. Silent tears were falling down his face but I don't think they had anything to do with the blows Bella was delivering. Corrine had scooted back and was holding her bleeding nose as she watched the of two of them until Bella finally lost all momentum and rolled off her father sobbing. By now, the rest of our collective families had shown up but weren't doing anything to stop her either.

"You were supposed to protect me," sobbed Bella, looking over at her parents. "You were my parents. I needed you."

"We know," whispered Nolan, sitting up.

"I was fifteen and I needed you," cried Bella. "How could you let them send me to a mental hospital?"

"We didn't know about that until after it was done," said Nolan. "After those men broke into the house and nearly killed us, Bella, we were taken to a private hospital to recover from our injuries. Peter didn't tell us you had been found for almost two weeks. He told us that he had arranged for you to go there to keep you safe but we told him that was bullshit. We forced him to do whatever he had to do to get you out of there and with your brothers. We knew they would take care of you."

"They shouldn't have had to," argued Bella. "You were supposed to be the ones to take care of me. I blamed myself, Nolan."

"Honey, none of this was your fault," gasped Nolan, reaching for her. She scooted back so he pulled back.

"Don't touch me," she snapped. "You could have told us that you weren't dead but instead you let us go two years thinking you had been butchered. What kind of parents do that to their kids?"

"We were wrong," cried Corrine, moving over and sitting next to her husband. "Not a day has gone by that we didn't think of you or your brothers."

"Yeah, well, so did we," grumbled Emmett. Everyone turned and looked at him. "We needed you. All of us needed you, not just Bell. You gave up on all of us, except Renee, but she didn't care anymore about us than you did."

"That's not fair," muttered Renee, crossing her arms in front of her. Charlie placed his hand on her back. "I wanted to tell you but I couldn't."

"That's bullshit," whispered Bella. "You chose not to. Just like you chose Charlie over us, just like you didn't even bother calling us once in two years to see how we were doing. I needed my big sister, Ren, and you weren't there. You gave up on me just like they did."

"You never needed me," cried Renee. "Ever since you could walk, you wanted to be with the boys and not with me."

"That's not true," sobbed Bella, standing up. "You were my hero, Ren. You are smart and beautiful. I wanted to be just like you but, no, I wasn't the right kind of sister for you."

"Yes, you are, Bell," cried Renee. "I wish I could go back and change it all. I would do so many things over."

"I wish you could, too," whispered Bella, "but you can't. I don't know how I can trust any of you ever again."

"Bella," gasped Corrine. I nearly rolled my eyes. Was she really surprised that Bella couldn't trust her after she had lied to her? "Please, don't think that."

"I don't know who you are anymore, Corrine," said Bella. Her mother flinched back at the sound of her given name being used. Nolan slipped his arm around her waist, pulling his wife into his chest. Bella shook her head and looked at me. "Let's get out of here."

I simply nodded my head as I slipped my hand into hers and pulled her after me. The sounds of her parents muffled crying and her brothers telling them they shouldn't have expected even that much from her drifted behind us. I led Bella down to our villa and shut the door behind us. She turned and buried her face in my chest and just sobbed. I lifted her up and carried her over to our bed, laying her down and climbing on next to her. Would it ever be easy for her? For us?

I'm not sure how long we had been laying there on the bed when someone knocked on the door. Bella groaned and pushed her face into her pillow, muttering a series of four letter words under her breath. I kissed the back of her head, went over, and opened the door. Carlisle and Esme were standing there, looking exhausted.

"Is she ok?" whispered Carlisle.

"No," I answered, honestly as I looked back at Bella. She was sitting up on the side of the bed, dried tear stains on her face. "Come on in."

"Thanks," murmured Carlisle. I shut the door behind him and moved back over to Bella, wrapping my arm around her waist. "You ok, sis?"

"No," whispered Bella. "I'm tired and I have a headache."

"I'm pretty tired myself," sighed Carlisle, sitting on the bed next to her. He reached over and picked up her hands and started examining them. "Do your hands hurt?"

"A little," muttered Bella, looking up at her brother. "James and Vic are really dead, aren't they?"

"Yeah," whispered Carlisle, nodding his head. "We saw their bodies earlier."

"It's not fair," cried Bella, wrapping her arms around him. "I was mad at them but I didn't want them to die."

"I know," murmured Carlisle rubbing her back.

"You ok, Edward?" asked Esme, moving over and sitting next to me.

"No," I said, quietly. "I want to go home."

"Me too," whispered Esme.

"I do too," muttered Bella.

"Well, the plane is supposed be back in a couple of hours and they tell us we are heading back to the states," said Carlisle, laying his head on top of Bella's. "But Nolan and Corrine are insisting that you go back with them to Arizona, Bella."

"No," yelled Bella, pulling back from him. "I don't want to go with them."

"You aren't going with them, Bell. Calm down," said Carlisle, quickly. "But because we aren't letting them take you back to Arizona, they are insisting on coming back to Forks with us."

"NO!" screamed Bella. I quickly pulled her into my arms, trying to get her to calm down.

"I can't stop them from coming there," explained Carlisle. "Em, Jas, and I told them that they were not welcomed at the gym but I can't keep them out of the town, Bella. I will not let them hurt you again, do you hear me?"

"Do you promise, Car?" asked Bella, looking up at him.

"I promise," said Carlisle. "I promise, Bell."

"I trust you," whispered Bella, turning back into my chest. "I trust you, Car."


	36. Chapter 36

36

"Goddamn it, Esme, come on!" I yelled, pacing back and forth in the living room.

"Calm down, Edward," sighed my mother, coming out of the kitchen. "I'm sure she is hurrying."

"Yeah, Eddie, I'm coming," muttered Esme, hopping down the hall as she struggled to put on her shoes. "You almost seem excited about going back to school."

"I just need to see for myself that she is alright," I whispered, sheepishly. I felt like such a sappy mush in that moment but I had been worried about her all night.

"Well, we should go then," said Esme, clearing her throat. "Mom, Dad, we'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok," smiled Elizabeth, coming over and hugging us both. "If you need anything, just call. Bella, too."

"We will," whispered Esme.

"Be careful," said Ed.

I simply nodded my head as I slung my backpack onto my shoulder and followed Esme out of our apartment and headed down to the car. It's been two days since we left the island that had been our so called refuge from the men who were after us. The first day was spent flying back into the country while the next day had been spend sleeping. A lot. After not really sleeping at all in our few days away, both Bella and I were extremely tired. Not only were we physically exhausted but emotionally and mentally we all had been pushed well past our limit and needed to take the day to decompress.

I convinced my parents that Bella needed me to stay with her all day yesterday. I don't know that they really believed me but they let me stay with her anyway. Bella and I didn't do anything more than sleep in each other's arms but it was still one of the most amazing nights if my life. Of course, I'm the fact that Esme stayed with Carlisle helped convince them that it was okay. Plus, I think they two of them needed sometime alone as well. They still were waiting to hear if they were being sent back to Italy or not. I think a part of them was hoping they were going to get to stay here with us, Bella and her brothers included.

Esme pulled her car up in front of the school and sighed as she cut the engine. For a moment she just sat there, quietly and calmly. I knew it was hard on Esme to come back here too. She had been afraid that her sudden disappearance had cost her the job she had worked so hard for but Peter insisted that they had taken care of all of it. We didn't really trust anything those people said anymore.

"Well, I guess we should get this over with," muttered Esme. I looked over at her as she looked at me. "If you or Bella need me, you know where I am."

"I do," I said, nodding my head. "Same for you, ok?"

"Ok," smiled my sister.

Esme and I climbed out of her car and headed up the front pathway to the front doors. I tugged on the strap of my backpack as I followed her through the double glass doors. Just as I expected, everyone stopped and starred at us as we made our way down the hallway. I suppose when you disappear for a week, they are bound to ask a few questions. Esme led me down to her office, where we found Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and Bella.

All four of them look apprehensive but Bella looked downright terrified. There were dark circles under her eyes and she was clenching her hands into tight fists. I went straight to her and pulled her into my arms, feeling her body relax immediately. So did mine. I needed to hold her in my arms just as much as she needed me to hold her.

"We need you to make it clear that they aren't allowed to come near her, Esme," said Carlisle, quietly. I laid my head on Bella's as I looked over at them. "We don't want them trying to corner her here at school."

"Ok, um, I can let everyone know that besides the four of us and my parents, neither Bella nor Edward are allowed to leave school campus with anyone else," said Esme. "You may have to go get a court order if they push it but for now, that's what I can do."

"Thank you," murmured Carlisle, taking her hand in his. "For everything."

"Anytime," whispered Esme. Emmett and Jasper both cleared their throat as if to remind them both that we were still actually in the room. Carlisle and Esme both looked up at the two of us. "Oh, right. Um, Bella, if it is ok with you, I took the liberty of rearranging your schedule so that you and Edward are in all the same classes. Is…is that okay?"

"Thank you, Esme," said Bella, quietly. "I really appreciate that."

"I just want to make this easier on you both," muttered Esme.

"Um, we should probably to get to class before Mrs. Owens gets pissed so…" I trailed off. "We'll meet you at the car after school?"

"Ok, have a good day," smiled Esme.

"Yeah, okay," snorted Bella.

Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper laughed as Bella and I headed out of the office. My sister means well but even if we hadn't just spent the last week finding out that everything Bella had been believed about her parents was nothing more than a fucking lie, we still wouldn't be having a good day. We were in high school with a bunch of assholes, after all.

Bella tightened her grip on my hand as we walked into our first class. Mrs. Owens and everyone else, stopped talking and looked over at us. Neither of us said anything as we crossed the room. I sat in my usual seat and pulled Bella into the seat that was usually occupied by Jessica. Maybe this way I wouldn't have to sit by her anymore.

"Breathe, Baby," I whispered, leaning over to Bella. She let out the breath of air that she had been holding and gave me a very small smile. "I think you can smile bigger than that."

"Maybe I-"

"You're in my seat, freak," snapped Jessica, interrupting Bella, whose face hardened into hatred as she looked up at the bitch.

"It's my seat now," growled Bella, squeezing my hand even harder.

"Jessica, take a different seat," ordered Mrs. Owens. Jessica spun around and glared at our teacher.

"That's not fair. Just because the freak is back doesn't mean I should lose my seat!"

"I said to find another seat," snapped Mrs. Owens. "I will see you in detention this afternoon since you seem to think that you can speak to me anyway you please."

"But-"

"SIT DOWN NOW!" yelled Mrs. Owens.

Jessica huffed but she moved across the room to the only other free seat in the room. She shot daggers at me and Bella, who was trying not to laugh as we saw her get her ass handed to her. But how stupid can you be to challenge your teacher after they made it very clear that you were to sit your ugly ass down and stop throwing a temper tantrum.

"Now that we got that settled," sighed Mrs. Owens, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "We need to get started. Today, we will be discussing…."

I turned my attention away from her as she started drabbling on and on about Shakespeare and all the amazing works he had written during his lifetime. It wasn't that I disagreed with her but I just didn't really care for the man's work. I propped my head up in my fist and looked over at Bella, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

I spent the rest of the hour just watching her stare off into nothing. I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her beautiful mind. The look on her face told me that it wasn't all pleasant. While the Bella that I had fallen in love with wasn't always the most pleasant person to be around, she had made some huge strides in being happy. Was this just one more thing that her parents had taken from her?

The bell rang sending a shrilling echo through the room. Bella flinched back a little in her seat but I don't think anyone other than me noticed. They had all gone back to ignoring us. Was it better this way? I wasn't so sure. I slid out of my desk, grabbed my backpack, and slipped my arm around Bella's waist, leading her toward the door.

"Edward, Bella," said Mrs. Owens. We stopped and looked back at her. "Is everything ok?"

"No," I said while Bella just snorted and shook her head.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked. Bella turned her body so that she was facing our teacher.

"Why do you suddenly care?" asked Bella. "A week ago, you hardly acknowledged my existence and now all the sudden you want to help. No thanks."

Bella turned and pulled on my hand to get me to follow her out of the classroom. I looked back at Mrs. Owens, who looked quite upset with the words that Bella had just spoken. Was it that she dared talked to her like that? Or was it the truth of Bella's words that were bothering her? I didn't really care either way.

I slipped my arm back around Bella's waist as we headed down the hall to our next class. As we walked down the hall, the kids on either side of us stopped and stared. It was so quiet that I could each breath they took and let out. It was annoying. What did they think we were going to do? Suddenly decide to take out everyone? Simply ridiculous.

Bella and I headed into our history class and my eyes automatically fell on the empty seat next to mine. The seat Ben usually sat in. While I was still plenty pissed with him for lying to me, he had been the first person here to really befriend me. The first person to look past all my bullshit. I shook my head inwardly as Bella and I went over and took our seats. She took the seat that had been Ben's and looked at me.

"Was this his seat?" she asked. I simply nodded my head. "I miss them."

"You do?" I asked.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm still really fucking-"

"Language, Miss Cullen," sighed Mr. Taylor coming into the room. "It's not really that hard to not use vulgar words."

"What would you know about what is hard or not?" asked Bella, heatedly as she looked over at him. "Sometimes in life the only word that can truly express the way someone feels is fucked."

"Not being creative enough to find a more acceptable word is just pure laziness," said Mr. Taylor, folding his arms around his chest. Bella scoffed as she mirrored his own actions and crossed her arms.

"Spoken by someone who had never experienced real pain in his life," said Bella. By now, everyone was looking back and forth between the two of them.

"You don't me or what I've experienced, young lady," grumbled Mr. Taylor.

"Oh please," spat Bella. I could feel the anger washing over her. I knew I should try to calm her down but maybe this was what everyone needed to hear. That they knew nothing about real hardship. "You are so easy to read. Let me guess. You grew up in the Seattle or someplace big like that. Your parents are still married after forty or fifty years of marital bliss."

"Bella-"

"You live in the nice little bubble where everything was good and nothing bad ever happened," continued Bella, ignoring his attempt to stop her rant. "You graduated high school, went to college, met the girl of your dreams. You studied your ass off through four years of school while everyone else around you was going to frat parties and orgies but not you. No, you were focused on making something of yourself so you didn't enjoy the college experience. You graduated with honors, married the perfect girl, and settled into life here in this shit-hole of a town. That honestly makes you feel like you are better than everyone because we are nothing more than a bunch of little shits who are uneducated morons," seethed Bella, standing up.

Mr. Taylor was standing there in the front of his classroom with his mouth hanging wide open. Everyone else was looking between the two of them with equally shocked looks on their faces. Bella shook her head once more as she crossed the classroom. She stopped in the doorway and looked back at him.

"See, you don't know shit about why the word fucked is the true definition of my life," said Bella. She looked over at me before she turned and walked out of the classroom leaving everyone sitting there looking completely shocked.


	37. Chapter 37

37

As I watched Bella storm out of the classroom, I shook my head and stood up. I headed over to the door and pushed it open but stopped and looked back at Mr. Taylor, who was just standing there looking like someone had slapped the stupid out of him.

"She's right, you know," I said. He shook his head and focused his attention on me.

"Excuse me?" he asked, sharply.

"Maybe she shouldn't have gone about saying it in the way she did but she's right. Not a one of you understand a damn thing about what her life has been like. Maybe now you'll open your eyes up to what has been in front of you for two years," I said, using a tone that was just as sharp as his was.

"What is that, Mr. Masen?" asked Mr. Taylor.

"The girl who was dying slowly every fucking day right in front of you while you all would prefer to spread rumors about her or ignoring her rather than to take the time to try to help her," I said.

I shook my head again as I pushed the door open so hard that it slammed against the wall. I headed out into the hall but Bella wasn't anywhere to be seen. The only place I could think of that she would go to was her wall. I started running down the hall toward the cafeteria doors. I threw them open and ran through the large room. Sure enough, there was Bella sitting on her wall with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms tucked inside, like she was trying to protect herself. The thing was, I knew that was exactly what she was doing.

"Hey," I said, moving over to her.

"Hey," she whispered, looking up at me.

I climbed onto the wall so that I had a leg on each side. I reached out and pulled Bella's legs over mine and pulled her so that she was nestled up into my chest. I wanted her to feel safe and secure. I would do anything to make her feel safe and secure again. Bella sighed as she laid her head on my chest.

"You ok?" I asked.

"I don't know," she muttered. "I didn't mean to go off on him like that. It was just that…I am tired of being told what to say and how to say it. I'm not a kid anymore and I think I've earned the right to say fuck if I want to."

"You do," I said, quietly. "But he was just doing his job, Bella. He has to keep his classroom in order or all hell would break loose."

"I know," whispered Bella, trying to stifle her yawn as much as she could.

"You didn't sleep much last night, did you?" I asked. She shook her head no. "Nightmares?"

"Yeah," whispered Bella. "They were trying to take me away from you, my brothers, everyone. I can't…Carlisle woke me up but I didn't go back to sleep. I was just too scared."

"I will do everything I can to keep them away from you," I murmured.

"I know," said Bella.

"Sleep, love," I said, quietly. "I've got you."

"Promise?" mumbled Bella.

"I promise," I whispered.

I leaned back against the brick post behind me and held her as tight as I could to my chest while she slept. It wasn't the most comfortable place to be but I would suffer through it for Bella. She needed me and I wasn't going to complain about it. I knew I was going to have to do something to help Bella.

She was so full of anger and I had to find a way to help her get rid of it. It was eating away at her. If she didn't find a way to get everything out, she was going to do something that would either get her hurt or arrested. Would they ever see the damage they did to her? Would they ever understand the depths of her pain? I didn't think they would. I just didn't get them at all. They were her parents and they fed her to the sharks. What a couple of assholes.

"Edward, I've been looking for you two everywhere," said Esme, storming out of the cafeteria.

"Shhh," I hissed, softly. "She's sleeping."

"Oh, sorry," whispered Esme. "Mr. Taylor paid me a little visit about your attitudes."

"Look, I'm sorry but that man acts like a know-it-all jackass and both Bella and I were tired of hearing him calling us lazy and uneducated just because he doesn't like our choice of words," I said, softly.

"I understand that, Edward. I really do, but you can't talk to your teacher like that," sighed Esme.

"Don't blame Edward, Esme," whispered Bella. I closed my eyes as I realized that I woke her up. "It was my fault. I just got so mad and…I'm sorry."

"Bella, I am not mad at you," said Esme. "I just don't want to see you and Edward getting into anymore trouble here at school. I know it's hard. It has been hard for me too but we're going to be ok."

"How can you know that?" asked Bella, sitting up as she looked at my sister. "You were there on the island, too. You saw those dead bodies. How is anything ever going to be ok again?"

"Because we have each other, sweetheart," smiled Esme, reaching over and rubbing Bella's arm. "We will do whatever we can to keep you safe. We're a family, Bella."

"Esme," whispered Bella, blinking back the tears that sprang up in her eyes. "I really hope you are right because I don't want to lose anymore of my family."

"You won't," cried Esme, unable to fight her own tears as she pulled Bella into her arms and hugged her. "Just try not to cuss out anymore of your teachers, ok? There is only so much I can do to keep you out of trouble."

"We'll try," whispered Bella. "I'm really sorry for making things difficult for you."

"Don't apologize to me again, Bella," said Esme, pulling back. "I'll see you guys later. Try and eat some lunch. Carlisle's really worried about you not eating."

"I'll try," muttered Bella. Esme looked over at me and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll try too," I grumbled.

"Good," sighed Esme. She turned and headed back into the school. Bella laid her head back down on my chest.

"I can't believe he went whining to the principal," muttered Bella. "What a fucking baby."

"That he is, love," I chuckled as the bell rang for lunch. "You stay here and I'll go grab us a sandwich or something."

"Ok," said Bella.

I grabbed us each a ham and cheese sandwich and a coke. I knew that neither of us were really that hungry but we needed to eat. We sat on the wall, nibbling on our sandwiches while everyone came trickling into the cafeteria. For the most part, they all ignored us. But as usual Lauren, Jessica, Mike, Eric, and Tyler had to come out with smirks on their faces, acting like the fuckers they really are.

"Well, well, well, look who's back," smirked Lauren.

Even though most of the bruising was gone, there was still a little bit of greenish/yellow tint under her eyes from the black eyes she received when Bella broke her nose. I looked around at all of them. They were still showing the bruising. Bella clamped her jaw shut and clenched her fists. Would this bitch ever learn to leave her alone?

"Lauren, get the fuck out of here," I snapped.

"Why should I, Eddie?" she asked, glaring at me while the people behind her laughed. "Is poor Bella going to kick my ass again?"

"Yep," muttered Bella, lunging for her but I pulled her behind me.

"Leave her the fuck alone," I growled. "Neither one of us are in the mood for this shit today."

"I don't give a fucking shit," snapped Lauren. "That little bitch caused my daddy to take my car away from me."

"What did you expect her to do when you are in her face every fucking day?" I yelled, slamming my fists down on the table in front of us. Lauren and her gang of assholes jumped back two steps. "Do any of you ever think of anyone other than yourselves? All you've done in the two months since I have been here is get in her face. Why can't you just leave her alone?"

"Because she's a freak," snapped Lauren. "She came into this school with a chip on her shoulder and an attitude."

"I'm so fucking sorry, Lauren, that I was too busy dealing with my fucked up life to worry about how it made you feel," yelled Bella. By now everyone had gathered in front of the doors to the cafeteria, enjoying the show. "I never asked for your attention. I didn't want it. Nobody cares about what I want. Not you, not them," snapped Bella, gesturing to everyone. "You're all pissed cause daddy took your car away. If that's the biggest problem you have in life, then good. You wouldn't be able to handle half the shit I have."

"Like killing your parents," muttered Jessica. Bella snapped her head over to Jessica.

"You know what, Jessica," said Bella, shaking her head. "You don't know shit about me or my fucking parents. You can straight to hell."

Bella slipped her hand into mine and pulled me past the five of them and over to the door that led back into the school. Everyone stepped out of the way as we walked by. I pulled my hand out of hers and slipped my arm around her waist while we left them all behind us, letting them think what they wanted. Bella and I made our way down to Mr. Taylor's classroom to grab our bags.

He was standing in front of one of his windows with his back to the door. He looked back at the two of us when we stepped into his classroom. I felt Bella tense up as she pulled out of my arms and go over and pick up both our bags and bringing them back over to us.

"Bella." She stopped in her tracks but didn't look back at him as he spoke to her. "I grew up in foster care. My parents were deadbeats who neglected me in their quest to get high. I was removed from their care when I was five and placed in the system. The longest I ever stayed in one home was six months. When I aged out of the system and went to college, I studied my ass off because I refused to be like them."

"Yeah?" she asked, looking back at him. Her voice shook with each word she spoke. "Do you hate them?"

"Yes," said Mr. Taylor, clearing his throat.

"Did you ever see them again?" she asked.

"A couple times," he muttered. Bella nodded her head softly.

"I guess neither of us knew anything about each other, did we?" she asked.

"No," he said, quietly. "Maybe if I had paid more attention, I could have helped you before now."

"I, um, I probably would have told you to fuck off," cried Bella. I stepped up and wrapped my arms around her. "I'm really sorry about this morning. I'm just so…tired of it all."

"I'm here if you need someone to talk to," he said, clearing his throat. "Anytime."

"Thank you, Mr. Taylor," said Bella. "We'll remember that."

"And, um, when we aren't in class, you can call me Marcus," he muttered.

"Ok," I mumbled.

Marcus turned back to the window as Bella and I left his classroom. I wasn't sure what exactly had happened but it would seem that Bella and I had gained a friend in our history teacher. How messed up was that? Maybe it would be good for Bella to talk with someone who knows what it feels like to hate your parents. It couldn't hurt, right?

Bella and I somehow managed to make it through our afternoon classes without any other problems. Biology went painfully slow but that was mostly due to the movie we were watching and the fact that everyone kept looking back at us. Gym wasn't much better but at least we had something to do. Bella and I ran laps around the gym while everyone else was placing badminton.

Once Coach Clapp dismissed us and we changed out of our gym clothes, we headed down to Esme's car to wait for her. She came out a few minutes later, looking worn out. I immediately felt bad for causing her more trouble today. Esme just smiled at us as we climbed into the car. She drove us down to the gym and pulled up in front. The three of us headed inside, where we found my parents, Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice.

"Hey, how was your first days back?" asked Elizabeth.

"Pretty rough," I said, honestly. "But it'll get easier, right?"

"I hope so," she murmured. "Well, we have good news."

"What?" asked Bella, looking around at everyone.

"Ed and I are not being sent back to Italy," said my mother, smiling. "They've granted his request for retirement so we are here to stay."

"Really?" asked Bella, tearing up.

"Yes," whispered Elizabeth, pulling Bella into her arms. "We are not leaving you, sweetheart."

I smiled as I watched my mother holding the love of my life in her arms. With my parents here, her brothers, and my sister, Bella and I just might be able to deal with all of this and finally be happy. If anyone deserved to have their happily ever after, it was Bella.


	38. Chapter 38

38

"I am so fucking bored," muttered Bella.

"Me too," I laughed.

Bella and I were laying on her bed. We had just finished the last bit of make-up from our week long hiatus from school. The rest of our week at school had been pretty tame compared to our first day back. Mrs. Owens went back to ignoring us. Well, actually all of our teachers went back to ignoring us, except for Mr. Taylor. I mean, Marcus. It still felt weird to call him by his first name.

Bella and I had started eating our lunch in his classroom with him, since Lauren and her army of skanks wouldn't leave us alone. I swear, the bitch was looking to get another broken nose. She was just that stupid. Marcus was nice and let us eat in there with him. Bella didn't really talk much, especially about her parents, but at least she felt safe enough in that room to nibble on her food.

I sat up and moved so that I was sitting in front of her. She was still exhausted. She never complained but I knew she wasn't sleeping. The dark circles and bags that hung under her eyes made that painfully clear. As much as I wanted to be, I couldn't be here every night. Would she ever be able to put her fears behind her?

"Close your eyes," I said. Bella cocked an eyebrow at me. "Just trust me and close your eyes."

"Fine," she muttered, sitting up and closing her eyes.

I leaned across the bed and brought my lips down onto her left eye. She giggled but didn't open her eyes. I loved the sound of her laughter. I leaned over and kissed her right eye next, getting her to giggle again. Pushing her back on her bed, I moved my lips down the right side of her face. I reached the corner of her plush lips and pressed my lips down there again. I moved my lips to the other side of her face and started up next to her left eye again and kissed my way down until I reached the other corner of her mouth.

I slid my lips over and pressed them down on her closed lips. Bella sighed and opened her mouth to me. I slipped my tongue into her mouth as she reached up and gripped my hair in her hands, weaving her fingers in. I loved having her hands in my hair. I slipped my hand down to her waist and pressed my body down on top hers.

"Edward," moaned Bella, breaking her lips from mine. "Fuck, I love your fucking hands on me but my brother is in the other room."

"I know," I murmured, moving my lips down her neck to her collar bone. "I can't help myself, though. Your body calls to me."

"Yeah?" she asked, pulling my head back by my hair. "What does it say?"

"It's telling me to worship you," I smirked. Bella rolled her eyes and pushed me onto my back. She quickly moved so that she was straddling me. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she smiled. "I'm just listening to what your body says now."

"What does it say?" I asked, moving my hands to her slender hips. Inwardly, I frowned. She had lost weight.

"It says that we should go running," she said, seriously. I scrunched up my face.

"I think it's saying that you need to eat more and run less," I whispered. Bella sighed and climbed off of me, pulling her knees up to her chest. I sat up next to her. "Bella."

"I am just not hungry," she muttered, shaking her head.

"You're losing too much weight," I said, slipping my hand in with hers. "You're going to get sick."

"I know," she frowned.

"How about if we compromise?" I asked. "We go run but when we get back you have to eat. I mean, really eat. Not just nibble. We'll order a pizza and some breadsticks. Maybe eat a pint of cookies and cream ice cream while we watch movies."

"Scary movies?" asked Bella, looking up at me.

"Duh," I snorted. "Deal?"

"Deal," agreed Bella.

Bella leaned over and pecked me on the lips before she climbed off her bed. We pulled on our running shoes and dug our iPods out of our backpacks before we headed out into the living room. Carlisle and Esme were laying on the couch, kissing when we came in. I'm pretty sure I threw up a little in my mouth.

"Gross, Car," whined Bella, shuddering. The two of them broke apart and looked back at us. Their lips were swollen and their hair was a mess. "I don't need to see that shit."

"Where are you two going?" asked Carlisle, running his hands through his hair. Like that was going to help.

"Running," muttered Bella. Carlisle sighed and looked over at me. I knew what he was thinking.

"But after we run, Bella and I are going to order a large pizza and some breadsticks," I added, nodding my head. "Because we are both going to be starving and need a big dinner. Right, Bella?"

"Yep," she mumbled.

"Good," said Carlisle, looking back at her. "Be careful on your run, ok?"

"We will," murmured Bella.

"You two can go back to your kissing now," I snorted, pulling Bella out of the apartment.

Bella burst out laughing as Carlisle and Esme called us smartasses. We were smartasses and we were quite proud of that fact. We headed down the back steps and put our iPods on. I kissed Bella once more before we took off running through town. As soon as we took our first step, I could feel Bella begin to relax.

Over the past week, Bella and I had thrown ourselves back into our training. She told me that it was the one part of her life that she felt in control of, other than her relationship with me of course. I understood what she meant. She told me that when she was in the ring, she felt like nobody could hurt her. She needed to feel safe somewhere. We ran through town before we turned and headed back down to the gym. However, when we got about a block from the gym, Bella and I saw Nolan and Corrine climbing out of their car. These two were never going to learn.

"Fuck," muttered Bella, pulling out her cell phone. She quickly dialed Carlisle. "Car, they are there….Nolan and Corrine, that's who…no…I don't want to talk to them…ok, we will…I promise," muttered Bella. She shook her head as she closed her phone. "Looks like we are eating that pizza at your place."

"Yep," I muttered.

Bella and I waited until they were inside before we snuck down the block and climbed into my car. I didn't blame her for not wanting to see them. They had called everyday since we had gotten back and just couldn't seem to get it into their heads that she wasn't ready to speak to them, much less see them in person. She needed time and they weren't giving it to her.

Bella and I headed down to the local pizza joint and headed inside. Like it wasn't enough to know that her shitty ass parents were the gym, we saw Charlie and Renee sitting at a table in the back of the pizza parlor. Bella muttered a heated "Fuck" as they both stood up and made a beeline for us.

"Hey, Bell," said Renee. Bella ignored her and Charlie as we stepped up to the counter. "Bella-"

"We would like a large pizza with everything but anchovies and a double order of breadsticks," said Bella. "To go."

"Ok, that'll be twenty-six fifty," said the tall girl with long blond hair. She went to school with us but I wasn't sure what her name was. Hannah, maybe?

"Here I've got this," said Charlie, tossing a fifty on the counter. I picked it up before the girl could grab it and tossed it back at him.

"We don't need or want your blood money, Charlie," I said, shortly. I tossed the girl a couple of twenties. She quickly handed me back my change and went to turn our order in.

"Bella, please talk to us," pleaded Renee. Bella sighed and turned around.

"For the last fucking time, Renee," snapped Bella. "I have nothing to say to you or Charlie or those sons of bitches who think they are my parents. Just leave me alone and let me fucking deal with this on my own."

"Bell-"

"I'll wait in the car," muttered Bella, looking up at me.

"Ok," I said, quietly. Bella wrapped her arms around her body and headed out to my car. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. Charlie and Renee sighed and looked back over at me. "Just fucking leave her alone."

"We're trying to make it right," huffed Renee. "But she won't let us."

"You can't make this right," I snapped. "You can't force her to talk to you. You can't try to get her to understand the fact that you lied to her and your brothers for two fucking years, Renee. She will never understand how you could just turn your back on her when she needed you the most. Never. Just fucking leave her alone."

The girl from school, set our order on the counter. I grabbed it and headed back out to my car, leaving Charlie and Renee standing there with their mouths hanging wide open. I climbed back into my car. Bella had her knees pulled up to her chest as she looked out the window. I knew just where she needed to go. I started the car and headed out of Forks and down to First Beach. I parked my car in the lot and grabbed the food from the backseat. I held onto Bella's hand as we headed down the beach and settled in the sand.

"How'd you know to come here?" asked Bella, taking a slice of pizza.

"Cause I know you," I said, smiling. I pulled myself out a slice. "This is kind of like our spot."

"Why can't she just leave me alone?" asked Bella, biting off a small piece of her pizza.

"I don't know, love," I sighed. "I just don't know. I guess a part of her feels like she needs to explain why she did what she did."

"Yeah, well, she's an idiot," muttered Bella.

"That she is, baby," I laughed. "That she is."

Bella and I sat on the beach for another hour or so, eating our pizza and breadsticks. I was happy when Bella managed to eat three big slices of pizza and two breadsticks. Compared to what she has been eating, that was quite a feast for her. As the sun started to set, Bella and I grabbed our trash and headed back to the car.

I drove us back to the gym. Luckily, her parents car wasn't there anymore. I could feel Bella relax. We climbed out of the car and headed up the back stairs to the apartment that she shared with her brothers. We walked in and found everyone sitting in the living room. My parents, Carlisle, Esme. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice. They all looked up at us and we knew something was wrong.

"What's going on?" asked Bella, looking around.

"Nolan and Corrine are trying to get custody of you," said Carlisle.


	39. Chapter 39

39

"Bella, did you hear me?" asked Carlisle, standing up.

I looked down at her. She was standing there with her eyes closed tight and her mouth in a tight, thin line. I could tell she was struggling with what she was going to say, or do. Her parents had to be the biggest fucking pair of assholes I had ever met. Did they really think any judge would give them custody of her after they abandoned her and lied about being dead for two fucking years? Completely fucking mental.

"Bell," said Emmett, standing up. Bella snapped her eyes opened and looked around at everyone like she just realized they were all in the room with us.

"We'll be in my room," she muttered, pulling me toward her bedroom. "Don't bother us."

"Bella," said Jasper, standing next to this brothers.

Bella ignored her brothers as she pulled me down the short hallway and pushed me into her bedroom. She shut the door behind her and took a deep, shaky breath. She looked up at me and I saw the tears building in her eyes. I could feel the fear and despair dripping off of her. I held my hands out to her. She choked on the sob that bubbled out of her mouth as she took my hands and let me pull her into my arms.

"It's ok, love," I whispered, lifting her up.

I carried her over to her bed and laid her down, climbing on next to her. Bella nestled herself up against me as close as she could get. She was pressing her body to mine like she was afraid that I was going to suddenly leave her. It was completely ridiculous, of course. I couldn't live without her.

"Marry me," she whispered.

I fucking froze. Those two little words caused me to freeze up. Bella had just asked me to marry her. I closed my eyes as I pulled away from her and sat on the side of the bed. I mean, fuck, Bella had just asked me marry her. I shook my head in complete disbelief.

"Edward-"

"No," I whispered.

"Edward, marry me," she said, again. She moved up behind me and wrapped her arms around my torso. "Please, marry me."

"No," I repeated.

"Why not?" asked Bella, removing her arms from around me. I stood up and looked down at her.

"Because we aren't ready for marriage," I said. "You're scared and you think this is the only way to keep them from getting you but it's not."

"I love you, Edward." Bella moved off her bed and stood in front of me. She reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling it up to her chest. "I want to marry you because I love you."

"Baby, I love you, too," I said, "but we aren't ready for marriage."

"Edward, please," she cried, clutching onto me hand.

"No," I whispered, closing my eyes.

"Then get the fuck out of here," snapped Bella, dropping my hand. I snapped eyes open. She was pissed.

"Baby-"

"Don't fucking baby me, Edward," she sneered. "Just leave. You've made your fucking point and I get it, ok?"

"Bella-"

"FUCKING GET OUT!" screamed Bella.

"FINE!" I yelled back. I turned and went over to the door, throwing it open. I looked back at her. "Just because you don't get your fucking way is no reason to act like a little bitch."

"Fuck you, Edward," she snapped.

I slammed the door behind me as I stormed out of her bedroom. I walked into the living room where her brothers, my sister, and my parents were standing, looking completely and utterly shocked. I turned from them. They would never understand.

"I'm going home," I muttered, heading over to the door.

"Edward-"

"I'M FUCKING GOING HOME!" I yelled, interrupting Carlisle.

I slammed the door behind me and ran down the backstairs, taking them three at a time. I climbed into my car and peeled out but I couldn't go home. The pain radiating in my chest hurt too bad. I wasn't even paying much attention to where I was driving until I found myself pulling up into the parking lot down at First Beach.

I stumbled out of my car and down to the beach. I fell to my knees in the sand and screamed. I wanted nothing more than to marry her, have babies, and live happily ever after but we weren't ready for that. We were fucking kids for crying out loud. We were supposed to be thinking about college, not about how her parents were destroying her.

"IT'S NOT FUCKING FAIR!" I screamed, beating my fists into the sand.

I curled myself up in the sand and let my tears go. Life wasn't supposed to be this hard. Bella and I were supposed to be thinking about homecoming and where I was going to take her on a date Friday night. She was supposed to be able to smile without it hurting. I was supposed to be able to hold her, love her, touch her without worrying about pushing her too far. They've ruined it all.

All because they had to be selfish. All they've done since they came back into her life was try to make themselves feel better. They didn't give a flying fuck about Bella, Carlisle, Emmett, or Jasper's feelings. They felt guilty and the only reason they were doing what they were to her was because somewhere inside their fucking heads, this made them think they were doing right by her. What a couple of mother fucking assholes.

Before I realized it, the sun was coming up and I had spent the entire night on the beach, crying like fucking baby. I stood up and dusted myself off as much as I could and headed back over to my car. I climbed in and drove straight to school. I was sure that I would have to explain to my parents where I had been and what had happened but right now, I just didn't know what to say to them. I parked my car in the parking lot and headed inside.

Because I was so early, there wasn't really anyone here yet. I stopped at my locker and shoved my books inside before trekking down the hallway to my first period class. I slid into my seat and laid my head down on my folded arms. I heard everyone come into the room, laughing and joking about the party they went to, the fun they had over the weekend. How nice it must be to be able to be so fucking carefree all the time?

Like I could feel her, I snapped my head up and saw Bella standing in the doorway to our classroom. She was just standing there, watching me. I could feel the fucking traitorous tears building in my eyes again as I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. I loved her with all my heart and soul.

She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth like she did every time she was nervous or scared and slowly walked over and took her seat. Her eyes never left mine. For several minutes, we just stared at each other. Perhaps, neither of us knew what to say or do in this moment. Then Bella reached out, grabbed my hand, and slowly brought it up to her chest, covering her heart.

"I love you," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I…I'm just sorry."

"I love you, too," I whispered, bringing our joined hands up to my lips. "I'm sorry for what I said."

"You're right, though," she said, softly. "I'm scared to death that they are going to take me away from you, my brothers…"

"It's never going to happen," I murmured, pulling her desk up next to mine. I slipped my arm around her waist and leaned my forehead down on hers. "I will never let them take you from me, Bella. I will marry you one day, when we are both ready. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," whispered Bella, leaning in and pressing her lips onto mine.

"Ugh, get a room already," snapped Jessica, coming into the classroom.

"Get a life and butt the fuck out of ours," I said, snapping back at her.

Jessica just glared as the two of us as she moved over and took her seat on the other side of the room. I was getting really sick and goddamn tired of that bitch and her fucking mouth. One day, I'm going to let Bella beat the shit out of her. Mrs. Owens came rushing into the room, looking exhausted and completely worn out. Her eyes fell on me and I swear she growled.

"Mr. Masen, get to the office," she snapped. "Now."

There was an undertone laced in under her already forceful tone that made it clear that today would not be a good day to argue with her. I pressed my lips against Bella's once more before I stood up and stalked out of the classroom, ignoring the snickers coming from everyone in the classroom. Oh, it's so funny to get called to the principals office.

Honestly, I should have expected it. I was so wrapped up in all the drama with Bella, that I hadn't even thought about the fact that Esme would call me down to her office to rip my head off. I pulled open the door to the office. Mrs. Cope just looked at me, snorted, and motioned for me to go on back to Esme's office. I pursed my lips together and headed back there. The door was cracked open so I reached out and pushed it open the rest of the way.

Esme was sitting behind her desk. My parents were sitting in front of her desk. All three of them looked up at me and glared. Yeah, this wasn't going to go well.

"Shut the door and sit down," ordered my father.

I didn't say anything as I pushed the door shut and took the empty seat next to my mother. For a moment, no one said anything. The air was thick with tension and anticipation. I folded my arms across my chest, unsure of what to say or do right now. I didn't want to make the situation worse by saying something stupid.

"Where the hell were you?" asked Ed. His tone was firm, yet soft at the same time. "You told us you were going home but when we got there, you weren't there. We were worried sick about you, Edward."

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I went down to First Beach and did some thinking."

"And you couldn't call and tell us where you were?" asked Elizabeth. Her voice was shaky and guilt washed over me. I had scared them.

"I'm sorry," I said, sincerely. "I just…I had…I needed to think and scream and…"

"What happened with you and Bella?" asked my mother. "She refused to talk to us last night."

"She got scared and…we fought," I muttered. I wasn't sure I wanted to tell them the details. "She told me to leave and I said something mean to her…"

"Are you ok?" asked Elizabeth, placing her hand on my shoulder. I nodded my head and she raised her hand and smacked me in the back of my head.

"What the hell, Mom?" I asked, scooting my chair from her.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Edward Anthony Masen," snapped Elizabeth. "I was up all damn night thinking you were laying in a ditch somewhere dead or bleeding!"

"I'm sorry," I exclaimed. "You didn't have to hit me."

"You had better be glad I didn't bend your ass over my knee and give you a proper whoopin," snapped Ed, glaring at me. "After everything this family has been through over the last few weeks, I can't believe you would do that to us. I'm very disappointed in you, Edward."

"I know," I muttered. "I'm sorry. I'm doing the best I can. I don't know how to deal with this any better than you do or Bella does. Everyone…"

"We know, son," sighed Ed.

"I'm trying to be strong for her because she needs me," I whispered, fighting to stop the tears that sprang up in my eyes. "I can't lose her now, Dad. I can't….If they take her from me…."

"No one is taking that girl from you, Edward," said Elizabeth, moving over and kneeling down in front of me.

"I love her so much, Mom," I cried. I ran my hands over my face and through my hair. "She's the only person who really understand me. All of me. I can't…"

"Edward, listen to me," said Elizabeth. I looked up at her. "I promise you that I will not let those people take her from you or us. I give you my word."

"You can't promise me that," I whispered.

"If I have to kidnap that child and take the two of you to fucking Switzerland to keep you together, I will do that." I chuckled through my tears causing my mother to smile. "I give you my word, Edward."

"I believe you, Mom," I whispered. "I really am sorry that I didn't call."

"If you ever do that again, I will beat your ass," she said, seriously. "You are not too big for me to whoop."

"Yes, ma'am," I muttered, nodding my head.

"Edward, is Bella ok?" asked Esme. I looked over at her.

"No," I said. "She's terrified. I don't know how to help her."

"None of us do." Esme frowned. "You had better get back to class."

I nodded my head and hugged them all before heading out of the office. The bell rang ending first period so I headed down to Marcus' classroom. Bella was already there, tapping her fingers on her desk nervously. I went over and took my seat next to her. She sighed in relief and pulled her desk over so that it was right next to mine.

"Everything ok?" she asked. I smiled as I leaned my forehead down onto hers.

"Everything's fine," I lied, knowing that as long as her parents were pushing her like this that nothing was ok.


	40. Chapter 40

40

BPOV

I stood in front of the window in Marcus' classroom, nervously nibbling on my bottom lip. I could hear Edward and Marcus talking behind me but I wasn't paying much attention to what they were saying. I was too nervous to think about anything else but what I was going to have to do this afternoon; Face my parents.

God, just calling them that left a bad taste in my mouth. They weren't my parents, not anymore anyway. I didn't know who they were now. My parents never would have sold me out like that. My parents never would have betrayed me and my brothers like they did. They were assholes who were hell-bent on ruining my life.

"Motherfuckers," I muttered, shaking my head.

"What was that, Bella?" asked Marcus. I turned and looked at him. He was sitting behind his desk with his feet propped up and his hands resting comfortable on his abdomen.

"I said motherfuckers," I repeated. "I don't think I can do this."

"You can do this, Bella, because they need to know that you aren't going to let them hurt you anymore," said Marcus, smiling softly. "This is big step for you to get your life back and I know you can do it."

"What if the judge sends me back to them?" I whispered, wrapping my arms around my torso. I could feel the panic already starting to rise up inside of me. Edward immediately stood up, crossed the room, and pulled me into his arms.

"It's ok, baby," he murmured.

"He won't, Bella," said Marcus. "The judge is not going to side with people who knowingly and willingly abandoned their daughter just to protect their sorry asses."

"Did you just say ass?" I asked, smiling at him. "How uncouth of you."

"Yeah, well, you and Edward have corrupted me," he said, snorting. The bell rang and I sighed.

"Guess that's my cue," I muttered.

"It'll be ok," said Marcus, standing up. He came over and patted me in the back. "I promise."

"I hope so," I muttered.

Edward slipped his arm around my waist as we headed out of the classroom. In fact, Edward kept his arm around me as we walked down the hall to the front doors of the school. I turned in his arms and buried my face in his chest, trying to find the courage to get through this and let him go. I felt Edward lean down and press his lips on the top of my head, which just made me want to hold onto him even more.

"I'll be at the gym when you get done," he whispered. His voice was shaky and full of unspoken uncertainties.

"Promise?" I asked, letting my tears fall onto the front of his shirt.

"Look at me," he whispered. I looked up at him and saw the tears swimming in his eyes, too. "I promise to be at the gym when you get done. I love you, Bella."

"I love you, Edward, " I cried.

I leaned up and kissed him before I pulled away from him and ran down the front walk of the school. I jumped into the backseat of Carlisle's car and fell into Jasper's waiting arms. He held me against his chest as Carlisle pulled the car away and headed down to our meeting with the judge and our parents.

The car ride to the courthouse was tense and awkwardly silent. None of knew what to say or do in this moment. We were lost and barely hanging on. Sometimes I forgot that I wasn't the only one who had lost my parents. My brothers did too and not only that, but they took on the responsibility of raising their sister. I certainly hadn't made it easier for them.

"You guys know that I love you, right?" I asked as Carlisle parked his car. I sat up as he, Emmett, and Jasper looked at me. "I know that I haven't always made things easy. You've all given up so much for me…but…" I trailed off as I felt the tears building back up in my eyes. "You never gave up on me, even when I called you fuckers and assholes. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't taken me in and I love you so much."

"Oh, Bella," whispered Jasper. "I thought you were going to get through that whole thing without saying fuck."

"Jas," I cried. He reached out and pulled me back into his arms.

"Bell, everything we have done for you, we have done because we love you. You're our baby sister and no matter what, we are in this together," he murmured.

"Yeah, Jas, is right," said Emmett, placing his hand on my back. "We love you, little sister, and we are not going to let them take you from us."

"Besides, I still have a shit load of stuff to teach you," smiled Carlisle. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off. "That's the little sister I know and love."

"Ok, let's get this shit done," I muttered, pulling away from Jasper.

The four of us climbed out of the car and headed into the courthouse. Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were all wearing their nicest dress pants and shirts while I refused to change who I was. I was wearing my favorite jeans with rips in the knees, a long sleeve black shirt, and Edward's 'The Who' t-shirt. I needed something of his close to me, since he couldn't be here with us.

I wanted him, Esme, Ed, Elizabeth, Rose, and Alice to be here but Rose and Alice were both trying to catch up from all the work they missed while we had been kidnapped and taken to hell, as I liked to call it, and couldn't afford to take off anymore time. Neither could Esme, not after missing a week. Ed and Elizabeth had to fly back to Italy to pack up everything and make their return to the states permanent. As for Edward, well, my brothers were afraid that the judge would see how dependent I was on him and call it an unhealthy attachment. Maybe they were right but I really could have used him right now.

The four of us walked into the large conference room and found Nolan and Corrine sitting on one side of the table with Charlie and Renee sitting next to them. I settled into the seat between Carlisle and Emmett while Jasper sat in the seat on the other side of Emmett. We just sat there in complete silence until the door to the room opened.

I looked back to see the judge, a tall Latin man with silky black hair and matching eyes, come into the room followed by the court reporter. He settled at the end of the table and looked around at all of us, letting his eyes rest on me. I couldn't get a read on what he was thinking and that scared the shit out of me.

"Well, we are meeting today to discuss the application for custody of Miss Isabella Cullen by her parents, Nolan and Corrine Cullen," said the Judge. "I am Judge Eleazar Sanchez. Now, before we get started, I want to make myself clear that I expect everyone to act like adults and not children. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, your honor," everyone muttered but me. Eleazar seemed to noticed that but didn't say anything.

"Good," he said, turning to Nolan and Corrine. "Your son, Carlisle, has custody of Isabella-"

"Bella," I said, interrupting him. He looked over at me. "My name is Bella. Isabella is what they call me and I don't like it."

"Very well," he said, smiling at me. He looked back over to them. "Carlisle has custody of Bella. Why do you feel that she would be better off with you?"

"Your honor, Carlisle has done a fantastic job with Bella but we are her parents and we should be the one raising her," said Corrine. I folded my arms across my chest and pulled my bottom lip between my teeth to stop myself from laughing in that bitches face. "Since she has been with them, she had turned into an angry, bitter girl. She needs us."

I snorted and looked away. _Gee, I wonder why I am so bitter._

"Why are you bitter, Bella?" asked Eleazar. I looked over at him and realized that I had said that out loud.

"You'd be a little bitter too if you realized that your so called parents threw you away," I said, quietly.

"We didn't throw you away, Isabella," said Nolan. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Bella, how did they throw you away?" asked Eleazar. I opened my eyes and looked over at him.

"They left me to die," I said, thickly. Carlisle placed his hand on my shoulder. "They chose to lie to me, to my brothers, about being dead for two years, just to save their own asses. They let me go crazy with guilt for not helping them, not saving them. Then they come back and expect me to just be all happy to see them? I don't know them anymore, your honor."

"We're the same people we were," insisted Corrine. I looked over at her.

"No, you're not," I said, shortly. "My parents put their kids before themselves. They would never have let them send me to a mental hospital and let the those bastards keep me drugged up."

"We told you that we didn't do that," said Nolan.

"You didn't stop them either!" I snapped.

"Bell, calm down," murmured Emmett, placing his hand on my other shoulder. I took a deep breath and leaned back in my seat.

"Neither of you have clue just how fucked I am," I said, feeling my tears building up.

"Tell us." said Eleazar. I looked over at him. He was leaning back in his chair with his arms folded in front of his chest.

"I wanted to kill myself," I muttered, wrapping my arms around my torso and looking at the table. God, I needed Edward. "I used to go to cliffs a few miles outside of La Push. I would stand on the edge, looking down at the razor sharp rocks. It would have been so much easier to just let them carry my pain away," I said, letting my tears fall.

"Why didn't you?" asked Eleazar.

"I couldn't have hurt my brothers like that," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I was already making life plenty difficult for them."

"How?" he asked.

"I was angry," I said, looking over at him. He was sitting there watching me and ignoring everyone else. "I lashed out at them and called them names. They gave up school, relationships, having lives for me. I got into fights at school. I hurt them in my sleep."

"In your sleep?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have terrifying nightmares every night. They used to be about those men coming back for me, for my brothers, but now, I'm scared of my parents taking me from everyone that I can trust." I took a deep breath and I clenched my fists together. "They have to hold me down so that I don't hurt myself but sometimes I hit them in the struggle and I hate that I hurt them."

I wrapped my arms tighter around my body as I was overcome by my tears. Jasper pushed away from the table and came up behind me. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and brought his lips down to my ear.

"It's not you," he whispered. "It's the fear that lashes out. You have done nothing wrong."

"Jas," I cried, gripping his arms in my hands.

"Nothing, Bella," he whispered.

"Perhaps we should take a break," suggested Eleazar.

"I'm fine," I said, sniffing. Jasper kissed the top of my head before he let go of me and took his seat. "I would rather just get this done with."

"Ok," said Eleazar. "Do you still want to die?"

"No," I said, quietly.

"What changed?" he asked. I looked over at him.

"I was saved," I smiled.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Edward saved me," I said, smiling.

"Edward Masen?" he asked.

"Yes," I murmured.

"He hasn't done anything other than turn you away from us," grumbled Corrine. I snapped my head over to her.

"He was the only person who stood up for me when people called me a whore or a murderer," I snapped. "Did you know that people around here thought that I killed you? That they branded me a fucking killer? A drug dealer? But not Edward," I continued. "He stood up for me. He told them to fuck off and leave me alone. Where were you when I needed you? You weren't here. You hiding and leaving me, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper to fend for ourselves!"

"Ok, everyone needs to calm down," said Eleazar, leaning up to the table. It was then that I realized that I was gripping the edge of the table to tightly that my knuckles were bone white. I pried my fingers off the table and looked over at him.

"Edward loves me even though I tried to push him away. He makes me feel safe and protected," I said, letting my tears fall. "His sister, Esme, doesn't let me get away with shit but she also understands that sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I need to just back off and take deep breath. His father, Edward Sr., makes me laugh. He doesn't push me to talk about all of this. He tells me jokes just to get me to smile," I cried, bringing my hand up to my chest. "Elizabeth, his mom, she lets me cry on her shoulder. She tells me that it's going to be ok and she loves me. She's the mom I haven't had in two years. Rosalie and Alice are the sisters that I never wanted but that I needed. My brothers taught me how to fight back, to stand up for myself. They gave me the strength to hold on when I was ready to let go. Please don't take me from my family," I sobbed, wrapping my arms around myself. "Please."

"Come on, Bell," murmured Carlisle, pulling me to my feet. "Let's go."

"Mr. Cullen, we aren't done here," said Eleazar. Emmett and Jasper stood up next to us and pulled me from Carlisle's arms into theirs as I cried.

"Your honor, with all due respect," said Carlisle, "we are done here. Bella has been through enough. She had tried to tell them more than a dozen times in the last handful of weeks that she needed time and space to deal with everything that is running through her pretty little head. She's seventeen and she shouldn't have to be dealing with their guilt trip. Now, maybe I'm wrong here but I love my sister too much to sit here and let her fall apart because they are too selfish to think about someone other than themselves."

"Ok, Mr. Cullen," said Eleazar. "We will meet here tomorrow at two o'clock. I will have my decision then."

"Thank you, your honor," muttered Carlisle.

He pulled me out of Emmett and Jasper's arms and lead us through the double doors My knees gave out on me after just a couple of steps. Carlisle swept me into his arms and carried me out of the courthouse and out to the car. He climbed into the backseat with me and held me close to his chest while Emmett drove the four of us back to the gym.

Emmett pulled up behind the gym and we climbed out. We headed up to the apartment and found Edward, Rose, Alice, and Esme all waiting for us. I pulled away from Carlisle and ran over and jumped into Edward's arms, holding onto him as tightly as I could and cried.

"It's ok, love," he whispered, carrying me to my bedroom. He knew me so well. He laid me down on my bed and climbed on next to me. He pulled me back into his arms and I laid my head on his chest. "How'd it go?"

"I don't know," I murmured. "He's making his decision tomorrow."

"Oh," muttered Edward. I leaned up on my elbow and looked at him. He looked just as scared as I did.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too," he murmured, bringing his hand up to my cheek.


	41. Chapter 41

41

**EPOV**

The next morning, I woke up feeling anxious and nervous. I was scared to death and felt like I was going crazy. Bella was curled up next to me with her arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I wanted to stay here all day but we couldn't. We had to face the judge and find out if she was being ripped away from us or getting to stay with the only people who truly loved her. I hoped this judge wasn't a complete asshole.

"Edward, don't leave me," muttered Bella, tightening her arms even more.

"I won't," I whispered, even though she was asleep.

Bella mumbled my name softly. I loved hearing her talk in her sleep. When she came home from the meeting with the judge and those assholes, she was nearly inconsolable. I wanted to kill them for thinking that they had any right to her. After everything they had put her through, for them to even think that she would want anything to do with them was simply absurd but they didn't care. They were complete and utter assholes.

Bella rolled over onto her other side and curled herself up in a tight ball. I could hear her start to whimper. The sound pulled at my heart and I wanted to go to them and beat the crap out of them but I couldn't do that. Instead, I rolled onto my side and wrapped my arm around her waist, holding her so that her back was pressed against me. Bella stopped whimpering and sighed as her body relaxed again. I loved this girl so much.

"Edward," moaned Bella, arching her body into mine. I bit back my groan as she rubbed her ass into my cock, which was rapidly hardening. "Edward…please…"

"Please, what?" I whispered, leaning down to her ear. Bella shuddered and pushed back into me.

"Edward," she cried out.

I couldn't stop my hand as it slid down the side of her body, letting my palm graze her breast. She wasn't wearing a bra under her t-shirt and I could feel the perfect shape of her round breast. I slid my hand down until I reached the top of her panties. I brought my lips down to the side of her neck as I slipped my hand into her panties, moving over until I was cupping her sex. Fuck, she was wet.

"Edward," she moaned, snapping her eyes open as she pushed her pussy into my hand. "Fuck, don't you dare stop."

"Never," I murmured.

I moved my fingers down her slit, opening her up for me. Bella was writhing against me as I slipped two of my fingers into her. My cock was throbbing as I pressed myself against her body. I started thrusting my fingers in and out of her. Bella brought her hand up to my hair, weaving her fingers in it and pulling. I growled at the pain and pleasure that resonated throughout my body.

"Bella," I growled, sucking on her neck. "You feel so fucking good, baby."

"So close," she mumbled, spreading her legs even further for me. "Please, baby, I'm so close."

I increased my pace, making sure to hit as deep as I could without actually hurting her. Bella was moaning and dropping curse words under her breath. I could feel her body being to shake and quiver so I curled my fingers up and rubbed along the inside of her. Bella threw her head back onto my shoulder as she clenched down on my fingers and came for me. I kept pumping my finger as she rode out her orgasm, smirking to myself at being able to get my girl off. Yeah, I was a stud.

"Holy fuck, Edward," muttered Bella, panting as she tried to catch her breath. "That was…"

"One hell of a way to wake up?" I asked, still smirking.

"Yes," she laughed, turning to face me. She ran her hand across my cock, causing me to hiss out. "Hmm, what do we have here?"

"Bella," I growled, again.

Bella smirked as she placed her hand on my shoulder and pushed me onto my back. I didn't fight her at all. She moved over so that she was straddling my legs. Biting on her bottom lip, Bella slid her hand down my chest until she reached the top of my pajama pants. She looked up at me and smiled as she pulled my pants and boxers down, releasing my throbbing cock from its constraints, and tossed them onto the floor.

I knew what I wanted but I wasn't going to ask her to use her mouth on me. I wasn't a prick and I wouldn't start being one now. Bella reached down and wrapped her warm hand around my shaft and I bit back the moan that sprang up out of my throat. God, her hand was warm and soft. Bella looked down as she pumped me a few times, letting her hand rub across the head of my cock.

"Fuck, Bella," I groaned, grabbing onto her knees. "So fucking good."

"I love the feel of your cock in my hand, Edward," murmured Bella and my cock hardened even more. Bella smirked as she looked up at me. "Do you like it when I talk dirty, love?"

"Yes," I gritted out, tightening my grip on her knees.

Bella laughed softly, which of course went straight to my cock. God, I really was a pervert. Just the sound of my girl's laugh made me hard. She licked her lips as she leaned down and ran her tongue across the tip. I clamped my mouth shut to stop the loud, moan that was sitting on the tip of my tongue but goddamn, that felt good. Bella wrapper her lips around the head of my cock and slid me into her mouth. My eyes rolled back into the back of my head. She slowly pulled me back out of her mouth before plunging me back in a little quicker.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," I muttered under my breath.

I was desperately trying to hold back my release as I enjoyed having my girl's mouth wrapped around me. Bella seemed to have other ideas as she brought her hand up to my cock and started stroking what she couldn't fit into her mouth. She peeked up at me through her lashes and moaned. I slammed my hand on the bed serveral times as I came in her mouth.

I should have warned her but I felt it coming so fast that I didn't have a chance. Bella's eyes fluttered to a close as she swallowed everything that poured out of me. She sat up, wiping her mouth off on the back of her hand and smiled. God, she was amazing in every fucking way and then some.

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you," I grumbled, shaking my head. "I-"

"I liked it," she whispered, blushing bright red.

"Really?" I asked, sitting up as my cock softened. Bella blushed deeper and nodded her head. "Hmm, ok."

"We should shower," muttered Bella, climbing off the bed. I could tell she was embarrassed. I reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Hey, there is nothing to be embarrassed about," I said. She looked over at me.

"I just…" she trailed off as she shook her head. "I don't want you to think that I am…gross or whatever."

"I think you are amazing," I said, smiling as I pulled back onto the bed. Bella looked up at me. "Baby, I don't think you are gross for liking that. I think it's hot. I just felt guilt for not asking you before I did it."

"Oh," she whispered. "I wouldn't be opposed to trying it again."

"You can't say stuff like that to me," I whined, falling on my back. My cock was perking up just at her words.

"Sorry, love," smiled Bella, climbing off the bed. She walked over to her bathroom. On the way, she pulled off her t-shirt and threw it at me. "Coming?"

"Fuck," I muttered, scrambling off the bed.

Bella laughed harder as I followed her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind us. I wrapped my arms around her and started kissing along her neck, causing her to shiver and moan. After another round of seeing who could be the quietest when we got off, Bella and I showered together. We dried off and headed back out into her room.

Bella pulled on a pair of jeans and one of my t-shirts that I had left here for her so that she would have something of mine when she got scared and I wasn't here to hold her. I pulled on the jeans and black t-shirt I had brought with me last night. Esme and I had agreed that we needed to stay here. You know, to comfort Carlisle and Bella. That was our story and we were sticking to it.

Once we were both dressed, Bella and I headed into the small kitchen, where we found Esme, Carlisle, Rose, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper all sitting quietly at the table. You could feel the tension in the air as Bella and I joined them around the table. I guess nobody was sure about what to say or do right now.

"I'm going to get you my pretty," whispered Bella, using a cackling and menacing tone. Everyone looked up at her. "And your little dog, too."

"What the fuck was that?" roared Emmett, throwing his head back and laughing. "Oh my god."

"Sorry," giggled Bella, while everyone else started laughing, including me. "But it was really weird in here."

"Damn, Bella," snickered Rose. "That was creepy. You sounded just like that witch."

"Thanks, I think," snorted Bella, shaking her head.

"Oh, Bella," laughed Carlisle, shaking his head. He looked right at me. "See what you've gotten yourself into."

I nodded my head and motioned to my sister as I said, "The same thing you've gotten yourself into. Has she shown you her collection of Pez dispensers yet?"

"You fucking little shit," muttered Esme, punching me in the arm while everyone looked over at her.

"Esme, Pez? Really?" snorted Alice.

"Yes," she said. "I have one for all the places that Edward and I have lived during our lives. I didn't have friends to hold onto those places so I used Pez dispensers. At least I didn't have to let them go when we moved," explained Esme. I felt like a huge ass for making fun of her.

"I have slinkies," I muttered. Everyone looked over at me, including Bella, but I didn't make eye contact with them. "I have at least a dozen of them."

"Oh," said Alice, nodding her head. "I have a lot of shoes."

"No shit," scoffed Jasper. Alice turned and glared at him. "But you deserve every pair of them, baby."

"Sucker," snickered Bella, slipping her hand into mine as she laid her head on my shoulder. "She has you whipped, Jas."

"No, she doesn't," said Jasper, disagreeing.

"Yes, I do, Jas," smiled Alice, leaning up and kissing his cheek. "Or don't you remember that night a few weeks ago when I whipped you with your belt?

"I remember," murmured Jasper, huskily.

"EW," cringed Bella while Emmett and Carlisle merely cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Really, Jas?" asked Emmett. "I mean…really?"

"Don't judge me, Mr. Jerk-off-to-Rose's-picture while we were camping," smirked Jasper, throwing a plastic spoon at his brother. Bella laughed as Rose blushed.

"Fuck you, Jas," muttered Emmett.

"Nah, that's Rose's job," chuckled Jasper.

Rose blushed even more causing us all to laugh even harder. Who knew Rose would embarrass so easily? In those few minutes, all the tension evaporated from the room. Bella snuggled up closer to me and sighed. How I wished it could stay like this all the time.

But like all good things, that too past and before we knew it, it was time to leave for the courthouse. While they may not have wanted me to come to the meeting yesterday, I was going today. Bella could not handle another day like that and I was going to make sure that I was there for her. Esme must of agreed because she called us both in sick at school and took a personal day for herself.

Once we got to the courthouse, we headed inside and were directed to go into a large conference room at the end of the hallway. The eight of us walked in and found Charlie and Renee waiting with Nolan and Corrine. We ignored them as we sat down at the table. Bella sat in between me and Carlisle, gripping my hand in hers as tightly as she could.

A few awkward minutes later, the door opened and the judge, who Bella told me was named Eleazar, came into the room followed by the court reporter. He settled at the end of the table and looked around at all of us. His eyes rested on me and Bella for a moment before he looked at Nolan and Corrine.

"Before I tell you my decision, I want to say a few things," he said. "First, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, I can't even begin to imagine how hard it was for you to decide to go into hiding. However, if I'm being honest, you were wrong for keeping your children in the dark. Our first responsibility as parents is to take care of our children and neither of you did that. I've read the statements given by Mr. and Mrs. Swan, Mr. Black and Mrs. Black, and Mr. Donaldson and I am sympathetic to what you both have been through but you made the choice to leave her alone," said Eleazar. He paused as he turned and looked at Bella.

"Miss Cullen," he said, much softer. "You are a very angry young woman. You've been forced to grow up before you should have so I understand where this anger comes from. However, you need to start dealing with your anger before you lose yourself to it completely. This is a new start for you, Miss Cullen, and you should embrace it rather than losing yourself to it." Eleazar paused once again as his eyes shifted from Bella to me before looking around at everyone.

"Now, on to the matter at hand," he sighed, leaning back in his seat. "This was not an easy decision to make. I had to consider what was truly best for Bella and in doing so, I came to the realization that it has to be her choice," said Eleazar. He looked over at Nolan and Corrine, who looked shocked. "Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, the fact that your daughter has told you that she needs time and space to deal the your betrayal of her and your sons and yet, you sit here and ignore her, shows me that you are not what is best for Bella."

"Your honor-"

"Mr. Cullen, do not speak again," said Eleazar, forcefully. Nolan clamped his mouth shut as he fell back into his seat. "The fact is that Bella is nearly eighteen years old and has earned the right to be treated with more respect than what you and your wife have shown her. This may be your last chance to have any chance at having a relationship with her in the future. She needs time and I am giving to her. Isabella Cullen is to stay in custody of Carlisle Cullen," ordered Eleazar.

Bella turned into my arms and started crying. Only this time, I knew they were tears of happiness instead of sorrow. Eleazar stood up and headed over to the door. He paused and looked over at me and Bella. He smiled as he said, "Have a happy life, Bella. You deserve it."

"Thank you, your honor," whispered Bella, through her tears. Eleazar nodded his head before he walked out of the room. I stood up with Bella still in my arms and made to follow her brothers, Rose, Alice, and Esme out of the room.

"Bella," said Renee. Bella pulled me to a stop as she looked back at her sister. "Remember to keep your elbows in when you fight."

"I will," murmured Bella. She looked from Renee and Charlie, to Corrine and Nolan, who were sobbing softly. "You too."

Bella turned and pulled me out after her brothers, Rose, Alice, and Esme. The door shut behind us with a loud thud, leaving Nolan and Corrine to be comforted by Charlie and Renee. As we stepped out of the courthouse, we found the sun shining down on us. I looked down at Bella and smiled, which she returned even though she had tears in her eyes still. I reached up and brushed them away as they started falling down her face.

"You know what I feel like doing?" I asked, smirking at her.

"No," she said, smiling coyly. "What?"

"Running," I laughed. "Want to run with me?"

Bella nodded her head and said, "As long as I am with you, then I am willing to do anything."

"Anything?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Anything," she said, smiling even bigger. "Because I know I'll fucking win every time."

I laughed. "You think so, huh?" I asked. Bella nodded her head. "Well, we'll just have to see about that now, won't we?"

"Yes, we will," smiled Bella, slipping her hand into mine. "Together."

"Together," I echoed, leaning down and kissing her.


	42. Chapter 42

42

"Is that all you got, little girl?" asked Carlisle, ducking as Bella threw her left hook at him.

I chuckled inwardly from my seat next to the ring. Carlisle and Bella had been sparing for the last hour. She was holding back, trying hard not to completely beat the crap out of him and he was gloating, thinking that he was actually beating her. Emmett and Jasper were much more vocal with their laughter, however.

"Dude, she's going to kick your ass," snickered Emmett.

"Take his ass out, Bell," laughed Jasper.

"She can't take me down," smirked Carlisle. "She's just a little girl."

Bella stopped in the middle of the ring and looked over at me. I nodded my head, silently answering her unspoken question. Bella smirked as she turned and faced her brother again. There was a look of complete and utter concentration on her face. I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees, and prepared to watch her fight.

"Let's go, cupcake," she muttered.

Carlisle laughed as he came at her swinging his right arm wide. Bella ducked and moved behind him, placing a jab to his ribs first. Carlisle groaned while his brothers laughed. He turned and tried to hit her with an uppercut but she moved and threw a roundhouse, clocking him in the jaw and sending him to the mats. He scrambled back to his feet and refocused on her but I could tell she was in for the kill, so to speak.

As I watched them continue to spar, I found myself completely enthralled with her. She was an artist in the ring. She moved fluidly, drawing her prey into her web and smacking him down. Bella blocked a roundhouse from Carlisle and threw a left hook, sending him back down to the mats. He didn't get up this time. He rolled onto his back and pulled off his headgear.

"You win, you fucking brat," he grumbled. Bella laughed as she moved over and squatted down next to him.

"I was trying to be nice, Car," she smiled. "But you just kept mouthing off about me being a little girl. I had no choice but to kick your ass."

"Whatever," he muttered, letting her pull him so that he was sitting up. "Get your ass out of here so I can wallow in my own self misery."

"I love you, too, Car," laughed Bella.

"Yeah, yeah," snorted Carlisle, falling back on the mats.

Bella laughed even harder as she climbed out of the ring. I followed her over to the dressing room and kissed her before we went to shower. It had been a month since Bella's parents were told that she was to stay with her brothers and she hadn't heard from them since. They were still in town but they had kept their distance from her. Bella seemed to be relieved, even if I think a part of her was hurt that they were giving up on her. It was a lose-lose situation, that's for sure.

My parents came back from Italy a week later and got settled here in Forks. They bought a house a few blocks from the apartment that Esme and I still shared. My parents left the choice on whether or not I moved in with them or stayed with Esme up to me. I thought about it for several days but ultimately decided that I wanted to stay in the apartment. It really had become my home. They understood that and accepted my decision on the matter as long as my grades stayed up and I didn't get into anymore trouble.

The first was easy but the second, well, let's just say that the stepford bitches were making it hard not to completely beat their asses. Ever since they found out that Bella's parents were not dead, they had been getting all up in her face. More than once I had to pull her back before she broke Lauren Mallory's nose again. You would think that that bitch would have learned her lesson but apparently, she truly was stupid.

Once I was dressed, I gathered my gym clothes and shoved them into my bag. I headed out and found Bella waiting for me outside of the locker room. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Can I take you out for pizza?" I asked.

"Sure," she smiled, slipping her arm around my waist. "Can we take my car?"

"Duh," I laughed.

Bella smiled as the two of us headed out of the gym, ignoring the catcalls that were coming from her immature brothers. We loaded into her car and Bella drove us down to the small pizza parlor. We hadn't been here since the night we ran into Charlie and Renee so it was big step for Bella to come back in here. She parked her car out front and we headed inside. She looked around and sighed in relief when she saw that they weren't here.

We walked up to the counter and ordered our large pizza with mushrooms and black olives. We went over to the juke box and looked through their dismal music selection. I mean, seriously. They had Neil Diamond and Michael Bolton. It was really sad and pathetic. I slipped my arm around Bella's waist when the door the parlor opened. I looked back and froze for a split second.

"Bella," I muttered. "Look behind you."

"Why?" she asked, looking back. Ben, Angela, Garrett, and Kate were standing there, looking at us. "Oh."

"Hey," said Angela, nervously fidgeting from one foot to the other.

"What are you doing here?" asked Bella, turning into my arms. "Another secret mission."

"No," said Kate. "We were looking for you and saw you car so we stopped."

"Sir, your pizza is up," said the woman behind the counter.

"Thanks," I muttered, stepping over and picking it up off the counter. I looked back at Bella before turning to them. "We were heading to First Beach, if you want to come with us."

"Are you sure?" asked Ben, looking from me to Bella. I looked over at her.

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "We'll never eat all of this by ourselves anyway."

"Ok," smiled Ben. "We'll follow you then."

Bella and I headed out to her car while they loaded into Garrett's car. We didn't talk as she drove us through Forks to La Push. Honestly, I was kind of surprised that she was willing to talk to them considering everything but I guess that maybe she was finally ready to deal with this part of her life. She parked her car and we climbed out. I grabbed the pizza and wrapped my arm around her waist as we headed down to the beach with them following us.

We settled in the sand and grabbed a slice of pizza. For several minutes, none of us said anything. Maybe they didn't know where to start or how to start anymore than we did. There was still so much that had gone unspoken between us before they left the island. So many questions and very little answers.

"So," said Bella, breaking the silence. "What have you been up to?"

"Um," said Garrett, clearing his throat as he looked over at her. "We've been getting settled in Seattle, actually."

"What are you doing there?" I asked.

"School," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "The four of us quit The Omega Sector and have settled in Seattle to finish school at UW."

"Why'd you quit?" asked Bella, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I can't imagine that they let you leave so easily."

"No, they didn't," muttered Kate. "But we couldn't work for a bunch of assholes who could do what they did to you, Bella. It wasn't right."

"Oh," murmured Bella, looking away.

"They didn't trust us enough to give us all the information we needed to do our jobs and protect you," said Ben. "If we had, we would have done a lot of shit differently."

"Like becoming our friend in the first place," I muttered.

"No," said Ben. I looked up at him. "Befriending you and Bella, Edward, was the only thing we wouldn't have changed."

"So you just quit?" asked Bella, looking between the four of them.

"Yep," smiled Garrett. "I can only speak for myself but I hated it. I mean, shit, we had to go to high school, for fuck sake."

"No fucking kidding," snorted Angela, shaking her hair. "With a bunch of bitches, too."

"Aw, you don't miss the stepford bitches?" I asked, smirking.

"Fuck no," laughed Kate. "What a bunch of cunts."

"Yes, they are," muttered Bella, looking down at her feet.

"Still giving you shit?" asked Kate.

"Every chance they get," admitted Bella, looking up at her. "Especially with my ex-parents hanging around in town."

"Yeah, we heard they were still here," murmured Angela, shaking her head.

"I haven't heard from them in a month, though," said Bella, shrugging her shoulders. "So it's all good."

"You don't sound very convinced," said Garrett. Bella looked over at him as I slipped my arm around her waist.

"How am I supposed to sound?" she asked. "Either way, I will never have my mom and my dad back."

"That's true," mused Garrett. "So have you been boxing anymore?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling. "We have a tournament this weekend, actually."

"Where?" asked Ben.

"Um, in Vegas," I said, quietly. "We are driving out there the day after tomorrow. Should be tough one."

"I'm sure you both will be great," smiled Kate. "Just keep your elbows in."

"We will," said Bella, returning Kate's smile.

Kate, Garrett, Ben, and Angela left about half an hour later. We exchanged cell numbers and promised try to keep in touch with them. Bella and I sat on the beach for an additional hour, talking about them, the tournament that we were going to be fighting in, and just about everything else. It was the time that I loved being with Bella the most, when she truly let her guard down.

"Do you ever wonder what fish say?" she asked. We were laying back in the sand, watching the stars. I burst out laughing as I looked over at her.

"No," I snorted. "Do you?"

"Yes," she smiled. "I mean, when they are talking, is it all muted by the water like it is when we talk?"

"Um, I don't know," I chuckled, looking back at the stars. "I've never really thought about it."

"Oh," she simply said.

"Have you ever wondered why they call a spoon a spoon?" I asked. She giggled as she rolled onto her side and looked at me.

"Can't say that I have," she chuckled.

"How did they know that the spoon wasn't actually supposed to be called a knife or fork?" I asked.

"Have you been asking yourself this kind of stuff for a while now?" she asked, leaning up in her elbow.

"Since I was a kid," I admitted, looking over at her. "There is nothing wrong with wondering about stuff like that."

"Never said that there was," she smiled.

"You don't say it with your words but your eyes speak volumes," I snorted.

"My eyes are not saying anything," she disagreed. I laughed as I rolled over so that I was hovering over her.

"Oh, trust me, they are telling me so much," I murmured.

"Like what?" she asked, bringing her hand up to my face.

"Like you want me to kiss you," I whispered.

"I do," she admitted.

I leaned down and pressed my lips down onto hers, gently at first but soon, I found myself kissing her harder. Bella moaned under me and wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me down onto her ever more. Even though we were both wearing jeans, I could feel the heat coming off of her. My cock was aching, begging to be inside of her. I pulled my lips away from hers and took a deep breath.

"Baby, we have to stop," I muttered.

"Why?" she asked, moving her lips to my neck.

"Because I want you so bad," I groaned, pressing myself into her. "And we can't do this here."

"I want you, too," she murmured, tightening her legs around me. "We can do this here."

"Do you have a condom?" I asked, pulling back enough to look down at her. Bella bit her lip as she shook her head no. "I don't either. I love you, baby, but I am not ready to be dad."

"Oh, fuck, me either," she shuddered, pushing me off of her. "Thank god, you were thinking with your big head and not your little head."

"Little?" I asked, frowning.

"I didn't mean little like little," she said, smiling. "I meant little like smaller."

"Small?" I asked. I couldn't help the hurt that crept up into my voice.

"Not small like small," she said, quickly. "Like smaller than your head."

"Just stop," I laughed. "None of that is making me feel better about myself."

"Sorry," she smiled, moving so that she was straddling me. "You are big, baby. Huge, actually!"

"Yeah, yeah," I chuckled, sliding my hands up to her hips.

"I'm serious," she smiled, grinding herself down on my erection. "I don't see how you can even walk with something so big in your pants."

"Bella," I moaned, closing my eyes. "You're torturing me here."

"I am?" asked Bella, smiling widely.

"Yes, you are," I groaned, rolling so that she was laying under me. "I think you enjoy it too much."

"Maybe I do," she smirked.

"Woman, you are going to be the end of me," I muttered, leaning down and kissing her.

"I really hope not," she whispered.

Bella and I stayed on the beach until she started shivering. We headed back to her car and drove back to the gym. I walked her up to her door and kissed her several times before she went inside. I headed down and climbed into my car. I had the biggest goofiest smile on my face as I made the three minute drive through Forks. I parked my car next to Esme's and headed upstairs to our apartment. She was sitting on the couch with a stack of papers in front of her.

"Hey, where have you been?" she asked, looking up at me.

"Bella and I were down at First Beach," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Guess that explains the sand," she smirked.

"Guess so," I muttered, heading over to my room.

"Are you two having sex?" she asked, suddenly. I froze as I put my hand on the doorknob to my room. "Cause if you are-"

"No," I said, quickly as I looked back at my sister. "We aren't and if we were, I wouldn't be discussing it with you."

"Would you rather have this discussion with mom and dad?" asked Esme, standing up. She folded her arms in front of her chest.

"I would rather not have this discussion at all," I muttered.

"Look, I don't particularly want to talk about this with my baby brother, either, but I am not ready to be an aunt," she sighed.

"We are not having…sex," I muttered, feeling my ears turning red. "If we do, then we will use protection. We aren't stupid."

"I never said you were," she said, defending herself. "Do you have condoms?"

"I'm going to my room," I growled, throwing the door open to my room and slamming it shut. I flopped down on my bed.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Edward," said Esme, through my bedroom door.

"Go away, Esme," I ordered.

"Fine, I was just trying to be a good sister," she huffed.

"Whatever," I muttered, pulling my pillow over my face.

I heard Esme laugh as she walked away from my door. I would so get her back for this. I wasn't sure how or when but I would get her back for this.


	43. Chapter 43

43

"Edward, get your ass out of bed," yelled Esme, banging on my bedroom door. "You are going to be late for school."

"I'm up," I yelled back, throwing the covers off of me.

I stretched and climbed out of my bed. My body was sore from my training sessions at the gym but it was a good kind of sore. You know, the kind where you know you are doing something good for your body and your body is telling you about it. I quickly showered and got dressed for school, opting to wear a pair of dark jeans and my black t-shirt with a white skull on it. I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my backpack, and slung my bedroom door open. Taped to my door was a box of condoms.

"ESME!" I yelled, ripping them off the door. I could hear her laughing in the kitchen. I stormed in there and slammed them on the table. "It's not fucking funny!"

"Yes, it is," she smirked, pouring her coffee out in the sink. "I'm just making sure you are prepared, little brother."

"I don't need you to buy me condoms, Esme," I hissed.

"Would you rather mom or dad did it?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

"I am going to make sure you pay for this, Esme," I growled, storming out of our apartment.

I could still hear her laughing as the door shut behind me. She was enjoying my humiliation way too much and I was going to have to make sure that whatever I did to her, made her feel exactly like I was in this moment. Bella was waiting for me in her car. I climbed in and slammed the door behind me.

"Whoa, what the fuck is your problem?" she asked, pulling out into the street.

"My fucking sister taped a box of fucking condoms onto my bedroom door," I muttered. Bella burst out laughing and I glared at her. "It's not funny."

"Oh, it's plenty funny," she snickered. "We need to start plotting to get her and Carlisle back."

"Why Carlisle?" I asked.

Bella pulled her car into a parking space at school and cut the engine. She looked over at me and smiled. "Because he left me pamphlets for various methods of birth control and a picture of you with a target covering you face."

"Wow," I snorted. "We are so going to make them pay for that shit."

Bella laughed again as we climbed out of her car and headed into the school. We stopped by our lockers and grabbed our books for our morning classes. Thankfully, most of the kids in this school had gone back to completely ignoring both me and Bella. There was nothing better than being ignored. Odd, I know, but after being the center of attention for a couple of weeks, both of us was enjoying the feeling of being invisible.

"God, what is that horrible fucking smell?" laughed Lauren as she, Mike, Tyler, Eric, and Jessica walked by me and Bella.

"That would be your body odor, Lauren," quipped Bella, shutting her locker. "They invented something for that, it's called soap."

I laughed loudly as Bella and I left the five of them standing there with their mouths hanging wide open. You would think they would have gotten tired of always being insulted by one of the two of us. I mean, every morning one of them makes some bitchy comment and we tell them just how fucking stupid they are.

Bella and I headed into our English class and took our seats. Mrs. Owens was sitting at her desk, reading what looked like some of the essays that we had had to write last week. Our topic was about finding the real you and putting it down into words. How the hell was I supposed to know who the real me was? I hated the assignment but Bella seemed to really take it to heart. She refused to let me read hers before she turned it in and I wasn't really sure why but she didn't and I respected her privacy.

Once everyone had filed into the room, Mrs. Owens stood up and shut her classroom door. She turned and faced our class, letting her eyes roam around the room. It may have been my imagination but it seemed like her eyes stayed on Bella for a few moments longer than they did on anyone else.

"Before I start today's lesson, I would like to read you something," she said, going back over to her desk. "When I sat down last night to grade your essays from last week, I was a little wary of what I was going to be reading. I know that sometimes it's hard for young people to see who you are but I found one that I would like to share with everyone," said Mrs. Owens, picking up a piece of paper.

"Once upon a time, in a land far way, there lived a young girl who had everything. It wasn't her parents' money that gave her everything that she wanted, but the love of her family. A family that once stood strong and worked together to make sure everyone was taken care of. A family that once laughed together, smiled at each other, loved one another. But just when the young girl thought life couldn't get any better, tragedy struck and the young girl was ripped away from those she loved more than anyone else in the world. Her mother and father were ripped from her and hidden away while she died a little more each day.

However, nobody seemed to see how much the girl was hurting everyday. How hard it was just to breathe in the morning and get out of bed to face the mocking crowd, jeering and jibing at her about things they would never understand. They taunted her and teased her, tearing her wounds open everyday and leaving her bleeding on the cold, tiled floor.

Then one day, a boy came into her life and, suddenly, she could see the sun that had been hiding behind the clouds that covered her heart. While she was scared to allow herself the chance to love again, she knew that this boy, her angel, had been sent to save her from drowning in a sea of tears and pain. He alone held the power to set the girl free from the chains that bound her. He alone had the power to set the girl free from the fire that consumed her soul and he helped her find out just who she really was. For she wasn't the girl who had lost everything but the girl who had finally found her everything. She found her everything in the love a boy."

Mrs. Owens placed the paper on her desk and looked around at all of us. I looked over at Bella and noticed that she was staring out the window. That's when it clicked for me; that was Bella's essay and she was trying to open up. I slipped my arm behind her and rubbed her back. Bella looked over at me and smiled, letting a single tear slip down her face and fall from her chin onto her desk.

"Today, we will be discussing the struggles of the…."

I tuned Mrs. Owens out as she started her discussion on _The Grapes of Wrath _and kept my eyes locked on Bella's. There was a sadness in her eyes that I knew had everything to do with her parents. Despite everything they had done to her, she missed them. She loved them and she was hurting but I didn't know what to do to help her.

As soon as the bell rang, Bella stood up and started gathering her stuff. We were almost out of the room when Mrs. Owens stopped us. "Bella, I truly enjoyed your essay. You expressed yourself very well."

"Thanks," muttered Bella. Mrs. Owens stood up and crossed the room so that she was standing in front of us.

"I know that you've struggled…a lot since you moved to Forks, Bella." She smiled and shook her head. "None of us have made it any easier, that's for sure, but you have made huge strides over the last couple of months. I don't know if it will make a difference to you or not, but I am proud of you."

"Oh, well, um…thanks," said Bella, ducking her head. "We should get to class."

"Ok, good luck with your tournament this weekend," murmured Mrs. Owens.

"Thank you," I said, pulling Bella from the classroom. Bella tucked herself into my side as we walked down the hallway. "That was…"

"Weird as fucking hell," muttered Bella.

"Exactly," I snickered. "But your essay was really good."

"I didn't think she would read it out to everyone," said Bella, dropping her voice. "Do you think anyone else figured out that it was me?"

"I doubt it," I whispered. "They aren't very smart."

Bella laughed quietly as we walked into Marcus' classroom. He smiled at the two of us and we took our seats. The rest of the morning flew by in a haze. Marcus lectured us over some war. I honestly wasn't paying much attention. Mrs. Goff had us do several worksheets on verbs and Mr. Varner spent the hour going over the test that nearly everyone in our class failed. Everyone but me and Bella, of course.

Once the bell rang for lunch, Bella and I scurried out of our classroom and down to our lockers. We shoved our books in and headed down to the cafeteria. We grabbed our lunches, tossed a handful of insults at the stepford bitches, and headed down to Marcus' classroom so we could eat our delicious lunch. He was sitting behind his desk with his feet propped up and his eyes closed.

"Are we interrupting?" asked Bella. Marcus smiled and opened his eyes.

"No, I was just thinking," he said, quietly. Bella and I sat down at the two desks in front of his desk and started eating. "Are you ready for your big tournament?"

"Guess so," said Bella, shrugging her shoulders. "It's going to be a tough one."

"How so?" asked Marcus, pulling his feet down and leaning up to his desk.

"Well, for one thing we won't be fighting just people from the area like we did in Seattle," explained Bella. "This tournament is one of the biggest in the country and people will be coming from all over the place to complete. Plus, we will have to fight more. Last time Carlisle checked, there were twice as many fighters registered for this meet. If they all show up, then we could find ourselves fighting twice as many people which just makes it harder on our bodies."

"And our minds," I added. Bella and Marcus looked over at me. "You have to be in the right mindset or you will get your ass kicked."

"Are you concerned about not being mentally prepared?" he asked.

"No, but my parents are going with us," I muttered. "It'll be the first time that they've seen me compete and…I don't want to let them down."

"You won't," murmured Bella, covering my hand with hers.

"Bella's right, Edward," smiled Marcus. "Your parents are going to be proud of you no matter how you do."

"I'm sure you're right," I said, quietly.

Perhaps it was a bit irrational to be concerned with how my parents are going to feel about my fighting. My father had been active in my training since he and my mother moved to Forks. I wasn't sure if it was the fact that he was really into my training or if he was just bored. He had gone from being a military man to suddenly having a lot of free time on his hands. It wasn't always a good combination. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had taken to Forks with gusto and finesse. She had started a small bakery that featured her cakes and cookies. My mother was an amazing cook but hadn't ever been able to really start her business because we moved so much. Finally, she had the chance to do something for herself. I knew that Ed and Esme were just as proud of her as I was.

By the time school was over, I was tired and had a headache from thinking so much. I tossed my books into my locker and headed out to the parking lot with Bella, thankful for the long weekend. Bella and I climbed into her car and we took off to the gym. Carlisle and Ed were waiting for us inside, tape in both of their hands and gloves at their feet.

"Hey," said Bella, dropping her backpack next to the door. I did the same as I followed her inside. "What are we doing today?"

"We are going to work on your roundhouses," said Carlisle. "They are still on the fat side."

"Are you calling me fat?" asked Bella, raising an eyebrow at her brother."Yes," he said, nonchalantly.

"Jerk," muttered Bella, punching him in the arm.

"Fuck, Bella," whined Carlisle, rubbing his arm. "I was kidding."

"Carlisle, you never call a woman fat," laughed Ed, shaking his head. "It's a sure fire way to get your ass kicked."

"But I wasn't talking to a woman," muttered Carlisle, still rubbing his arm. "I was talking to my sister."

"I am a woman, dickhead," growled Bella, punching him on the other arm.

"Damn it, Bell, stop hitting me," snapped Carlisle.

"Then stop being a jerk," sneered Bella, heading to the dressing room. "You are such a fucking baby, Car."

My father laughed as I headed over to the locker rooms to change. Carlisle was muttering under his breath but seriously, the man just didn't think things through sometimes. I quickly changed into my black shorts and tank top. Carlisle was taping Bella's hands when I got out to the floor. My father pulled my hands to him and started taping mine. Once we were both ready, we moved over to the punching bags.

"Ok, so the problem that you both are having with the roundhouse is that you are swinging your arm out from the shoulder too much," said Carlisle. "It looks like you are trying to bitch slap someone instead of punching them. Keep your shoulder pulled back and keep your elbows in. That should keep your swing from looking wide."

Bella and I spent the next hour working on our roundhouses. I will admit that my arm didn't get nearly as tired when I was doing it his way. The only problem was when you are in the middle of a fight, it's hard to remember every little thing. Sometimes, you just have to swing and let your strength take care of the rest for you.

Seeing as we were leaving bright and early for our drive to Vegas, Carlisle cut our training short tonight. Bella and I headed back into the locker rooms and changed out of our workout clothes and back into our school clothes. I walked her up to her room and pulled her into my arms, kissing her softly.

"I'll see you in the morning, ok?" I murmured, against her lips.

"Ok," she whispered. "If you can't sleep, call me."

"Same for you," I sighed, kissing her again. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she smiled.

I headed back downstairs and climbed into my father's car. He had a smile sitting on his lips as he drive me through town and back to mine and Esme's apartment. He shifted the car into park but grabbed my arm before I could climb out. I looked back at him, confused about what was going on in that mind of his. He was staring out the window, still smiling.

"You know," he started. "When I was a kid, my father taught me how to box."

"I know," I said, turning in my seat. "You told me about Grandpa when I was little. That's why you started teaching me."

"It was partly why," smiled Ed, looking over at me. "But it was mostly because I was afraid that if I didn't find something that you and I could do together, that you would end up hating me because we moved so much."

"Dad-"

"No, just listen to me," he said, holding a hand up. "After Esme was born and the doctors told us that Mom couldn't have anymore kids, I was devastated, Edward. Now, I love Esme but I wanted a son. When Elizabeth told me that she was pregnant again, I prayed that God would give me you, Edward. I know that is selfish. I would have been happy with another daughter but I wanted a son, someone who would look up to me. When you were little, I saw how much it hurt you to move and I hated it but it was my job and I had to do it. Then I saw you looking through my trunk and you were holding my old gloves in your hands. I thought, maybe it could something for us, you know?"

"I do," I muttered. I had never heard my father talk like this.

"Edward," he sighed, shaking his head. "I am so proud of you. You're a good kid and you take such good care of Bella."

"Thanks," I mumbled, feeling my ear heat up. "I love her, Dad. I love her like you love Mom."

"I know you do." My father chuckled and looked over at me. "Get some sleep tonight. We have a long drive tomorrow."

"I will, Dad." I smiled and pushed open the door. "Thanks."

I climbed out of the car and headed upstairs to mine and Esme's apartment. She was just pulling some baked chicken out of the oven. I tossed my stuff into my room and joined my sister at the table. We enjoyed a nice dinner and just talked about everything and nothing. After dinner, I washed the dishes and headed into my room. I stripped my clothes off and climbed into my bed. As always when I drifted off to sleep, my thoughts turned to Bella.


	44. Chapter 44

44

Our trip from Forks to Los Vegas felt like it took forever. I wasn't sure if it was really the fact that it took us nearly eighteen hours to make the drive or the fact that Bella and I made the trip in the backseat of my parents' car that made the trip seem twice as long. I suppose Bella and I were better off with Ed and Elizabeth than we would have been with Carlisle and Esme. Neither of us were talking to our siblings since they had decided to bombard us with contraception. They may have thought it was funny but we sure the hell didn't. It was humiliating.

So instead of riding with them, and having to watch them being all mushy and shit, Bella and I opted to ride with my parents. I'm not sure that was any better seeing as my mother spent nearly every minute of the eighteen hours looking back at us with a huge smile on her face. My face was permanently going to be bright red. My father tried to be more subtle with his glances but both Bella and I saw them. She thought it was funny while I was embarrassed as fucking hell. I mean, shit, I couldn't even talk with her without my parents smiling. It was annoying as fuck.

Finally, however, we pulled up in front of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. They were hosting the three day tournament that Bella and I would both be fighting in. We climbed out of the car, stretching out our sore and aching bodies. In all the places that I had been to with my family, Vegas was not one of them. The bright lights certainly lit up the strip and it was easy to see how they enticed people to come in and spend their money in their casinos.

Bella and I followed everyone in and over to a large banquet room that was filled with at least two hundred people. Some of them were boxers like us and others were their family members or trainers. Yeah, this was going to be much bigger than our Seattle competition. Carlisle lead us over to registration table and got into the long line. After several long minutes, it was our turn at the front of the line.

"Name?" asked the blond woman sitting behind the table. She looked like she had been at this for awhile and wasn't in the mood for any shit.

"Isabella Cullen and Edward Masen," said Carlisle. The woman's eyes widened a little when Carlisle mentioned Bella, who tensed up at the attention. I slipped my arm around her waist, trying to get her to calm down.

"Ok, once you get them weighed in, you need to take this form over to the other table that is on the other side of the room. They will get them their numbers," explained the woman.

"Thank you," murmured Carlisle, turning back to us. "Let's go."

"Good luck," said the woman.

Bella and I nodded at her, unsure of what to say, and followed Carlisle over to the weigh in station. Again we had to wait several minutes before it was our turn to weigh in. Bella weighed in first. She had lost a little weight since our match in Seattle but she was still in the flyweight division. She stepped off the scale and then it was my turn. I was still in the same division that I had been in Seattle too, light heavy weight division.

Once we had gotten done there, we moved over to the last table. The wait there took three times as long as it did at the previous two places. I was bored and tired. All I really wanted to do was go up to our rooms and go to bed. Finally, it was our turn. The dark haired woman nearly ripped the forms out of Carlisle's hands and slammed them down on the table.

"Cullen, huh?" she asked, looking up at us. Her eyes flickered from Carlisle over to Bella, who was looking any where than at her.

"Yeah," said Carlisle, shortly. The woman snorted and looked back down at the forms.

"Ok, well, everything seems to be in order," she said, pulling out two white papers with numbers on them. "Cullen is number 108 and Masen is number 157. Good luck."

"Thanks," said Carlisle, taking them from her.

The woman shook her head as she looked over at Bella again. I resisted the urge to lunge across the table and beat her fucking ass or at the very least, flip her the bird. Like I said, I resisted and followed Carlisle and Bella out of the crowded room and out to the lobby where everyone was waiting for us. As soon as we stepped out of the room, I felt Bella take a deep, calming breath. I tightened my arm around her, making sure she knew that I was right there with her.

"Ok, we got them registered," said Carlisle. He looked over at his brothers. "Apparently the Cullen name is still raising some eyebrows."

"Great," grumbled Emmett. He closed his eyes and shook his head, pushing out whatever thoughts were going through his head. Opening his eyes, he looked around. "Ok, well, we got everyone checked in. Our rooms are on the fourteen floor so we should probably get up there and get to bed. We have a big day tomorrow."

Everyone agreed so we grabbed our luggage and headed over to the elevators. Once we got up to the fourteenth floor, Emmett and Rose, Jasper and Alice trudged off to their rooms, which were a few doors down from the rest of ours. Ed and Elizabeth hugged me and Bella before they went into the room across the hall from mine and Carlisle's room.

"So I guess I'll see you in the morning." Bella laid her head on my chest. "Get some sleep, ok."

"I will," I murmured, kissing her. "You too. I love you."

"I love you, too," she muttered, blushing when she heard Carlisle and Esme snickering under their breaths. "Shut the fuck up, Car."

"It's just so cute," he gushed, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "You love each other so much."

"Fucking jerk," mumbled Bella, storming into her and Esme's room.

I flipped them both off as I walked into my room. The door shut behind me and I leaned my door against it just in time to hear Carlisle and Esme tell each other that they loved each other. It was all fun and games until you are alone in the hall being mushy. I moved from the door and pulled out my cell phone and sent Bella a quick text.

**B-They are in the moment. Start phase one-E**

I placed my suitcase on the bed and pulled out my pajamas. I headed into the bathroom, changed, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. By the time I got back into our room, Carlisle was pulling out his own pajamas. My cell phone went off indicating that I had a new message. I pulled up the message from Bella.

**E-Phase one is a go. Night-B**

Smirking inwardly, I wished her a good night and placed my cell phone on the bed. I settled under the covers while Carlisle headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed. A few minutes later, he came out and climbed into his bed, flicking off the light. I waited a few minutes before I sighed, loudly.

"Is something wrong, Edward?" asked Carlisle.

"No," I said, sighing again.

"Are you sure? Because you sound pretty damn pathetic over there," chuckled Carlisle.

"It's just…" I trailed off and waited for him to take the bait.

"Just what?" he asked. "I'm tired and I want to get some sleep so just say whatever is on your mind."

"How do you know when you are ready for…more in a relationship?" I asked, biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing.

"When you get married," he muttered, sharply. "And not until then."

"What if we, I mean, a person, isn't ready for marriage?" I asked. "Do you just…go for it and see what happens?"

"No, cause if you do that then the girls big brothers beat the crap out of you and rip junior right on off, understand?" he snapped.

"So what until marriage," I said.

"At least until then," he said, harshly. "Now, get your ass to sleep. You have to fight tomorrow."

I laughed to myself as I rolled onto my side. I wonder how Bella's conversation with Esme was going?

**BPOV**

After I sent Edward back a text letting him know that I was starting phase one on my end, I set my phone on the nightstand and waited for Esme to come out of the bathroom. She damn near skipped into the bathroom, singing and shit. Don't get me wrong, I love Esme but she and Carlisle needed to be taken down a notch or two and Edward and I were going to make sure we did just that.

Edward had been so embarrassed about making the trip from Forks with his parents but I liked it. It felt nice to have people, other then my brothers, that took an interest in what I was doing. True, they were embarrassing but they were parents, it's kind of like their jobs. Besides, they were pretty cool for old people.

Esme came out of the bathroom with a huge smile on her face and climbed into her bed. She reached over and turned off the light, sighing contently. For a moment, I almost felt bad about what we were going to do but then I remembered the box of condoms that she taped to Edward's door and the pamphlets that Carlisle had been leaving for me in my room and the guilt magically disappeared.

"Esme, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can," she said. I heard her roll onto her side. "What's on your mind?"

"Ok, so this is really…embarrassing but I don't have anyone to ask and…" I trailed off.

"You can ask me anything," she said.

"Well, how do you know when you are ready to move on to…more?" I asked.

"More?" she asked.

"Yes, more," I said. I heard Esme take a deep breath and had to stuff my face into my pillow to stop myself from laughing.

"Um, well, you should make sure that you are in love with the person you are wanting…more with," she said.

"I am," I said. "I mean, let's say that you are."

"Well, you should be older," she said, quickly. "Like…much older…and married. Yeah, definitely, married."

"I don't, I mean, what if you don't want to get married?" I asked.

"Then you shouldn't be thinking of…more," she said, quickly. "Go to sleep."

"Ok," I sighed. "Thanks for the advice."

"Yeah, sure," she muttered. I rolled over and settled down on my side. As I drifted to sleep, I thought that phase one went pretty damn well.


	45. Chapter 45

45

EPOV

I tried to sleep but I couldn't. My nerves were already starting to get to me. The tournament hadn't even started and I was already feeling like I was going to puke or pass out, or perhaps both. I tossed the blankets off of me and sat up on the side of the bed. The clock on the nightstand read that it was just after six in the morning. Carlisle was sleeping soundly in the bed next to mine. In fact he was snoring and I am pretty sure he had a little bit of drool coming out of his mouth.

I climbed off the bed and quietly walked around the room to the door. Easing it open as quietly as I could, I stepped out into the hallway and shut the door. Just as in the Seattle tournament, Bella was already in the hallway. I slid down to the floor next to her, taking her hand into mine. Bella didn't say anything as she leaned her head on my shoulder and offered me one of her earbuds to her iPod. I smiled at the silly tradition that we seemed to have started. I placed the earbud in my ear and closed my eyes, letting her music wash over me. Today's music selection was U2's greatest hits.

Neither Bella nor I said anything as we sat in the hallway. There really wasn't anything to say. We were both trying to focus in our matches and working through what we were going to need to do in order to get through the throng of fighters that we would be facing today. Bella turned her head, resting her forehead on my shoulder. My lips curved into a smile as I turned and pressed my lips down onto the top of her head.

We stayed like that, locked in our own private bubble. A world without worries, stress. A world without the fear of what was to come and the fear of what had already come for us. Today's tournament was a big step for the both of us. It was the first step in trying to get our lives back on track, trying to push back the threats that had nearly torn us to pieces and threatened to destroy the only thing we had left in the world; each other and our small family.

It wasn't until we heard Carlisle moving around that our bubble was busted and Bella and I were forced back to reality. Bella sighed as the door to mine and Carlisle's room was opened and he stepped out, peering down at the two of us.

"What are you two doing out here?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe behind him.

"Nothing," muttered Bella, turning her music off and pulling the earbuds out of both our ears. "We were trying to relax before we had to get ready to fight."

"Relax," snorted Carlisle. "Ok, well, if that is what you want to call it…you both need to get ready."

Carlisle walked back into our room, shutting the door behind him. Bella sighed and looked up at me. "Phase two starts right the fuck now."

"On it," I said, winking at her. I stood up and pulled her to her feet. "See you soon."

"Ok," murmured Bella, blushing.

I leaned in and kissed her before letting her go. She turned and walked into her and Esme's room, letting the door close behind her. I took a deep breath as I turned and walked into my room. Carlisle was sitting on the side of his bed, pulling on his black t-shirt that said Cullen Boxing on the front in big red letters. I pulled my suitcase onto my bed and unzipped it.

"What time are we going to be done today?" I asked, keeping my eyes trained on the luggage that sat in front of me. I pulled out my black and red boxing shorts and my own Cullen Boxing t-shirt.

"I don't know," said Carlisle, standing up. "Five, six. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," I said, looking up at him. "I was thinking that maybe Bella and I could do…something tonight and I was just trying to make plans. Lots of things to consider, you know."

"No, I don't know," he muttered, folding his arms across his chest. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Just…plans," I said, shrugging my shoulders "It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like anything in Vegas ever closes, right?"

I laughed as I headed into the bathroom, leaving Carlisle standing there with a glare on his face. It was just too easy to play with his mind. I pulled out my cell phone and sent Bella a text letting her know I started phase two. A moment later, she sent one back saying that she had as well. This was going to be so much fun.

I quickly got ready for our tournament and brushed my teeth. Carlisle was pacing back and forth when I came out of the bathroom. He looked up at me and opened his mouth to speak but seemed to decide against it since he quickly shut his mouth again. I tossed my pajamas into my suitcase and grabbed my other bag that had my gloves, headgear, mouth piece, towel, water bottle, and iPod. I wasn't sure how much time I was going to have between matches and the last thing I wanted was to be sitting there for an hour, bored out of my fucking mind.

"Let's go," grumbled Carlisle, once I had assured him that I had everything.

I hoisted my bag up on my shoulder and followed him out into the hallway. Esme and Bella were coming out of their room. Bella was all smiles while Esme looked less than happy. She looked from me to Bella before turning to Carlisle. She grabbed his arm and started pulling him down the hallway to the elevator.

"They are up to something," she muttered while Bella and I followed. "I don't know what it is but it's something."

"I know," hissed Carlisle, looking back at us. Both Bella and I were trying to look as innocent as we could but I don't think he bought it. "I will figure it out."

"You had better," grumbled Esme, stepping onto the elevator. Carlisle sighed as he followed her on. I slipped my hand into Bella's as we joined them. She turned and laid her head on my chest as the doors closed and we headed down to the lobby.

"I can't wait for tonight," whispered Bella, loud enough for Carlisle and Esme both to hear. I leaned down and pressed my lips onto the top of hers.

"Me either, baby," I murmured. "I've been waiting for this for a long time."

"I know," she whispered. "But I wasn't ready then and I am now."

"I know," I murmured. "I am too."

"What the hell are you two talking about?" snapped Esme.

"Oh, um, nothing," muttered Bella, turning her face into my chest.

"Yeah, nothing," I said, clearing my throat.

Before either of them could question us further, the doors to the elevator opened. Bella and I hurried out and crossed the lobby to where everyone else was waiting for us. My parents were looking almost as nervous as I was about today's match-ups while Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rose looked like they were bored to death.

"Well, let's go," I sighed, once Carlisle and Esme had caught up with us. They muttered something under their breath but I couldn't make out what it was.

"Are you nervous?" my father asked.

"Nah," I lied, shaking my head. "What's there be nervous about?"

"Right, right," he murmured. "Well, I'm nervous for you so…"

"Then you have me covered," I chuckled.

Ed laughed with me as we stepped into the Garden Arena inside the MGM Grand. Honestly, it took my breath away. There were a dozen or so rings set up inside and it was packed. Clearly, this tournament was going to be much bigger than the one we fought in in Seattle. Carlisle motioned for us to follow him down to the floor. Bella slipped her hand into mine. I could feel her shaking and knew she was feeling just as nervous as I was.

We followed Carlisle down and waited while he picked up our schedules. He informed us that neither of us had our first match for another hour so we found some seats and settled in. Bella and I each took out our iPods and listened to our music while we watched the other fighters. Most of them weren't very good. They had lazy footwork and heavy arms. They were going to tired themselves out in their first matches and be done for by the end of the day. Not to mention the fact that they were going to be sore as hell tomorrow, if they even qualified for tomorrow's matches. However, there were a few that I knew were going to stand out. They were smart enough to conserve their energy and choose just the right moment to strike their opponents down. It was going to be a tough road to the championships, that's for sure.

"Ok, Edward, it's time," sighed Carlisle. I nodded as I pulled out my earbuds and stowed my iPod back into my bag. Bella stood up and wrapped her arms around me, fisting the back of my shirt.

"Relax, keep your feet moving, arms tucked in," she murmured. "And kick some ass."

"I love you," I whispered, leaning down and kissing her.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

It was hard to pull away from her but I did. I turned and followed Carlisle down the cement steps to the floor with my father and mother following us. Elizabeth had a look of fear on her face and I knew this was going to be hard for her to watch. She would do it though because she needed to support me.

Carlisle led me over to one of the rings on the far side of the arena. He taped up my hands and shoved my gloves on while I tried not to throw up all over him. I wasn't sure he would appreciate it if I did that. My father attached my headgear with shaky hands and shallow breaths. I wanted to tell him that everything was going to be ok, but he was a dad and it was his job to worry. Once Carlisle had my gloves tied off, he looked up at me and smiled.

"Relax, Edward," he said, placing his hands on my shoulder. "You've got this. Just focus on what you need to do and do it."

"When does she fight?" I asked.

"In about half an hour," he said. "She's going to be fine, too. She's got enough anger to feed on."

"I know but she's lost weight," I muttered, looking down at the floor.

"She's a fighter, Edward," said Carlisle. "She always has been and so are you. Just focus on your matches."

"I will," I mumbled, looking over at my first competitor. "Let's do this."

"Edward," said Ed. I turned and looked at him. "Keep your elbows in and your head down."

"I will, Dad," I smiled.

Carlisle popped my mouthpiece into my mouth and I climbed into the ring. My first opponent of the day, number 244, was a short, stalky boy with wild curly red hair and beady little grey eyes. He looked like he just barely made it into the weight class, having at least twenty pounds on me. We met in the middle and bumped gloves before heading back into our corners. The referee moved between us and started our match.

I watched number 244 as he started to move around the ring, circling me. I knew what he was doing; he was waiting for me to make the first move. However, I also knew how to take him down. His feet were heavy, sliding along the mats instead of lifting up. All I had to do was get him tangled in his feet and go in for the kill, so to speak. I shifted to my right and number 244 across from me followed. I stepped back to the left, again he followed. We did our little dance, moving from side to side for a while longer. Each time I moved from one side to the other, though, I was stepping a little closer to me.

Number 244's eyes widened as he realized I had been moving in on him. Before he had a chance to defend himself, I threw my left hook, followed immediately by my right. He stumbled back into the ropes but I didn't give him a chance to regroup as I stepped up to him and started pummeling him, throwing my left and right fists. He stumbled to the mats and I stepped back, letting the referee in to check on him. Number 244 stayed down on the mats as the ref came over and held my arm up.

"Winner is number 157!" yelled the ref. "Good luck."

I nodded my head at him before heading over and climbing out of the ring. I spit out my mouthpiece and took the bottle of water my mother was holding to me with shaking hands. I placed my hand over hers and squeezed before I took it from her, chugging nearly the whole thing in one gulp.

"Good job, Edward," said Carlisle, ushering me to my next match. "You did good at watching his feet."

"Has Bella fought yet?" I asked.

"Fixing to start," he muttered. "Focus on your match."

"I am," I said, heatedly.

Carlisle merely snorted but didn't say anything else. We reached my next ring and I popped my mouthpiece back in. He pushed me over toward my ring and it was a good thing my hands were enclosed in my gloves because I would have flipped him off for sure. I climbed into my ring and prepared to face my next opponent, number 103.

Number 103 was a tall, gangling looking boy with a buzz cut. He was rolling his neck, stretching out as he prepared to start our match. There was a look in his eyes that told me that if I didn't strike quickly, he was going to lay my ass out. We met in the middle, bumped gloves, and moved back to our corners. The referee stepped between us, looked at him and then at me before he motioned for us to start.

Just as I expected, number 103 came right at me, arms swinging wide. I could hear Carlisle and Ed muttering about me moving faster and keeping away from him but I knew better. I could see that he was in for the early knockout and I damn well wasn't going to let him take me out first. Number 103 threw his left at me and I threw up my right arm, blocking his hit. I countered with a left jab to the ribs. He groaned and stumbled back. I closed the gap between us and threw a right uppercut followed by another left jab. He fell back into the ropes, groaning again before he slid to the floor.

The referee pushed me out of the way while he went up and checked on number 103. He came over a moment later and announced me as the winner and just as the previous referee had, wished me luck in the tournament. I climbed out of the ring and followed Carlisle over to my next ring.

"You took a risk," he grumbled. "He could have taken your ass out."

"Which is why I took him down first," I muttered around my mouthpiece.

As the day wore on, I found myself standing in the rectangular ring facing one fighter after another. Some of them were easy to defeat, others were not. By the time I climbed out of my seventh ring of the day, I was sore and I was sporting a new black eye and busted lip. My mother had finally given up her ringside vigil and had moved up into the seats next to Rose, Alice, and Esme. My father stayed by my side from match to match, offering me words of encouragement and support. I was thankful, even if I couldn't express those feelings right that second.

"Is Bella done?" I asked, spitting out my mouth piece for the last time today. My gums hurt from having it inside of my mouth so long.

"She's fixing to start her last match," explained Carlisle.

Ed and I followed Carlisle through the crowd of fighters who were finishing up their first day of competing. We stopped outside of Bella's ring. She was standing in her corner, twisting her arms above her head. I could tell she was trying to keep loose. Jasper and Emmett were standing on the edge next to her, talking hurriedly at her. She turned and snapped something at them. I stifled my laughter as they scrambled down. Getting in her face like that wasn't going to help her at all. Like she could feel my eyes on her, she looked right at me. A huge, gorgeous smile crept up on her face and I couldn't help but smile back.

Bella turned back as the referee called for her to meet her opponent in the middle of the ring. The girl, number 210, had about a foot on Bella and at least ten pounds. They bumped gloves and moved back to their corners. With one last look back at me, Bella went on the offensive and attacked poor number 210. The girl really stood no chance against Bella. Especially when she flinched the first time, Bella raised her glove up. Bella could smell weakness and knew enough to take her down quickly at least.

As Bella pushed Number 210 into the ropes, something or someone caught my eye. Sitting halfway up the stands on the opposite side, were Nolan and Corrine. Nolan was perched on the edge of his seat with his elbows resting on his knees. Every once in a while he would move his head, like he was directing her gloves to where they needed hit number 210 at. He smiled and leaned back in his seat. He looked over at Corrine and said something, grabbing her hand. He must have felt me watching him because Nolan turned and looked right at me. For a moment, we just stared at each other. Then he stood up, nodded his head at me, and left with Corrine following him.

I turned as Bella climbed out of the ring. She paused just long enough to take her gloves off and spit out her mouthpiece before she was in my arms. She head her arms and legs wrapped around me and I pushed all thoughts of Nolan and Corrine out of my head. She leaned her forehead down on mine.

"How'd you do?" she asked.

"Won all my matches," I murmured. "How about you?"

"Same," she smiled. "Today was the easy day. Tomorrow is going to be much harder."

"I know," I sighed, putting her down. "But we'll kick some ass tomorrow, too."

"You bet your ass we will," she giggled.

Since both Bella and I were done for the day, we gathered all our stuff and headed out of the arena. Rose, Esme, Alice, and Elizabeth met us up by the doors. They all told us we did a good job. We thanked them and headed over to the elevator. My parents, Rose, Alice, Emmett and Jasper rode up first, leaving just me, Bella, Esme, and Carlisle waiting for the next one.

"I am so fucking tired," sighed Bella, laying her head on my chest.

"Too tired for tonight to happen?" I asked. Bella smiled as she looked up at me.

"Never too tired for that," she murmured, blushing bright red. I wondered what she was thinking about that was causing her to blush so brightly. "What all do we need?"

"I think they said just our Id's," I whispered, ducking my head into her neck. "I can't wait until later."

"Me either," moaned Bella.

The doors to the elevator opened and Bella and I stepped out, leaving Carlisle and Esme standing there with there mouths wide open. Had they realized what we were talking about? Bella slipped her arm around my waist as we headed down the hallway to our rooms. I leaned down and kissed her again before we went into our separate rooms. I grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a dress shirt and rushed into the bathroom.

I quickly showered, washing off the days sweat and grim from my body. The hot water felt amazing on my already sore muscles but not too good on the black eye. Once I was clean, I turned off the water and dried off. I got dressed and walked back out into mine and Bella's room. Carlisle was sitting on the bed, with his hands folded in his lap.

"Where are you and Bella going?" he asked.

"What?" I asked, chuckling.

"You heard me, you little shit," he snapped as he stood up. "Where are you taking my little sister?"

"We are just going out to dinner," I laughed, putting my hands up. Carlisle narrowed his eyes at me.

"Don't you fucking lie to me, boy," he growled.

"I am not lying to you," I lied.

"I'm watching you," he grumbled, pushing past me and walking into the bathroom.

As soon as the door was shut, I rushed over and pulled out the phone book. I flipped to the back of the yellow pages and found the listening for wedding chapels. Digging a pen out of my bag, I circled one that was called 'Heavenly Moments Chapel.' I laid the phone book on my bed, making sure that Carlisle would see it the moment he came out of the bathroom. I grabbed my card key and wallet and rushed out of the room. Bella was waiting for me in the hallway with a big smile on her face.

"Phase two?" she asked, smirking.

"Complete," I smiled. "On to phase three."

"I fucking love phase three," she laughed.

I laughed as Bella and I rushed down the hallway and stepped onto the elevator. Phase three was definitely going to be a blast.


	46. Chapter 46

46

When Bella and I hit the lobby, we quickly found someplace to hide. We were just around the corner so that we could see the elevators but not be seen by anyone coming off of them. Bella was standing in front of me, pressing her back up against me and I was struggling to concentrate on our mission. She smelled so fucking good and she felt even better all pressed on me. My cock was rock hard and pressing against my boxers, begging to be touched by her.

"Did you leave the phone book on the bed?" she asked, breaking me out of my pervert thoughts.

"Yeah," I murmured, leaning down to her ear. She shivered against my body, which only caused me to smirk. Yep, I caused my girl to shiver. "Did you do your part?"

"Hmm," she hummed. "I left the ring box and the pamphlet on the dresser. I also called and let Mia know that phase three was starting. She was going to let the other two know as well. Which do you think they will go to first, yours or mine?"

"Yours," I chuckled, softly. "Esme will insist on it."

"Guess we are fixing to find out." Bella giggled as she gestured to the elevator and brought her video camera up.

Carlisle and Esme came rushing off, both of them were wearing looks of fear, anger, and shame on their faces. Esme was snapping at him that she knew they should have known what we were up to and he was nodding his head like a good boy. Suckers. They stormed out of the hotel and Bella and I headed out to follow them. They seemed to be in their own little world as they scurried down the street toward their destination.

Just as I knew it would be, their first stop was at a small chapel named A Special Memory Chapel. It was a small joint that looked like it had seen better days. The peach colored wallpaper was peeling in the corners and the beige carpet looked worn out and torn in a few places. From our position just outside the door, I could see Esme and Carlisle storm inside and up to the woman standing at the front desk.

"Can I help you?" asked the woman, eyeing Carlisle. Bella gagged and I nearly did.

"Stop looking at him," snapped Esme, slamming her hands down on the desk .The woman jumped back from her like she was afraid that Esme was going to reach across the desk and claw her eyes out, which if she didn't stop flirting with Carlisle, Esme just might do. "We are looking for two kids who were headed this way to get…" Esme paused as she took a deep breath. "…married here."

"Sorry, ma'am," smirked the woman, "but we haven't had anyone come in all night."

"If you are lying to me just to protect them, I will beat your ass. Trust me, I know how," growled Esme, reaching across the desk for her. Carlisle pulled her back behind him. Gutsy move, considering just how pissed off my sister was right now.

"Look, they might have told you to lie for them, but we need to stop them before they do something stupid," explained Carlisle. "Now, if they are here, tell us."

"They are not here," said the woman, flicking her hair behind her shoulder as she leaned toward Carlisle.

"Ugh, that's fucking gross," muttered Bella.

I cringed. "No shit."

"But I would be more than happy to give you a tour, Sugar. You know, to check all the nooks and crannies," she purred, winking at him.

"Oh God," groaned Bella. "I just threw up in my mouth."

"I'm going to be having nightmares for a month," I muttered.

"No, thank you," said Carlisle, politely as he took a step back. He turned to Esme. "We should go check the other one."

"Whatever."

Esme glared at the woman behind the desk before she started toward the door with Carlisle hot on her heels. Bella and I both hurried away so neither of them would see us. Phase three was going swimmingly. Carlisle and Esme headed up the street and a few blocks over until they were standing outside of another small wedding chapel, the one I had left open in the phone book. They marched inside and up to the front desk.

This one was nicer. The walls were painted a soft dusty rose color and it had hardwood floors that had been polished and well kept. Mia St. John, a short with dark brown hair and big blue eyes, standing behind the counter looked up and smiled at the two of them, ignoring the glares coming off Carlisle and Esme's faces. Like it was her fault that Bella and I were putting them through so much.

"Hi, are-"

"Look, we don't have time for pleasantries," snapped Esme, placing her hands on the counter. Mia cocked her eyebrow but didn't speak. This could turn ugly, quickly. "We are looking for a couple of pain in the ass kids who think they are getting married tonight. Now, I am not in the mood to play a round of 'let's dick around with the brother and sister of said kids' so just tell me if Bella Cullen and Edward Masen have been here."

Mia smiled as she placed her hands on the counter and shouldered up to my sister. "No, they haven't. Quite frankly, I'm upset with them both," she smirked. "We had an appointment set up for an hour ago and they haven't showed. I guess they went with one of their other two choices."

"What other two choices?" growled Carlisle, pushing Esme out of the way. Bella pressed her face into my chest as she laughed. Carlisle was an idiot.

"Stupid ass," I muttered as Esme hit him on the arm.

"He'll never learn," giggled Bella.

"I can't remember for sure but I think one of them was Golden Memories. It's about ten blocks down in the opposite direction," smiled Mia.

Carlisle and Esme stormed away from the desk and headed back over to the door. Bella and I once again moved so that they wouldn't see us. They stopped outside of the chapel, looking aggregated and pissed off. It was fucking perfect. Carlisle sighed and ran his hands through his hair as he looked up the street.

"I can't believe they would fucking run off to get married like this," he grumbled. "What the fuck are they thinking?"

"Who the hell knows," muttered Esme. "When I get my hands on that boy… I'm kicking his scrawny ass."

"If we don't stop them, you'll have to stand in line cause I'm pretty fucking sure that Emmett and Jasper will kill the boy," seethed Carlisle. "Not to mention that crap they will do to Bella."

"Then let's fucking hurry," snapped Esme.

Esme grabbed Carlisle's hand and started dragging him up the street. Once they were far enough away, Bella and I stepped out of the shadows and pushed open the door to the small chapel. Mia looked over at us and smiled.

"Edward and Bella, I presume?" she asked.

"Yes," smiled Bella. "Thank again for helping us."

"No problem," she laughed. "I have five older brothers. I completely understand. Shane has everything all set at the next one and your cab should be here any minute. Good luck."

"Thanks," I said, smiling.

Bella and I turned as the cab Mia had called for us pulled up to the curb. We climbed in and headed off to the next chapel. We passed Carlisle and Esme on the way but they were too busy fuming to notice us at all. The cab pulled up in front of our next stop and we climbed out. I tossed the driver some money and Bella and I found our hiding spot.

About five minutes later, Carlisle and Esme came rushing up the street. They threw the front doors open and stormed in. This time there was a young man with bright red hair and dark brown eyes standing at the front counter. Shane looked up at the two of them and smiled. Clearly, he didn't notice the pissed off looks on either of their faces.

"Hello, welcome-"

"Yeah, yeah, we know," snapped Carlisle. "Are Edward Masen and Bella Cullen here?"

"Who are you?" Shane asked, folding his arms in front of him.

"Her brother," growled Carlisle.

"Which one?" asked Shane. Even from our place outside the door, I saw Carlisle's nostrils flair.

"Why does that matter?" asked Carlisle.

"Well, I can't very well hand you the letter she left for one of the other ones, can I?" smirked Shane.

"I'm Carlisle," he gritted. Shane nodded his head and pulled out the plain white envelope that we had mailed here two days ago. Shane started to hand it to Carlisle but pulled it back just as he was fixing to grab it.

"Can I see some ID?" asked Shane.

Carlisle grumbled something as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. He pulled out his ID and slammed it onto the counter. "Now, give me the fucking letter."

Shane made the show of examining the ID closely before he handed it and the letter over to Carlisle. "It seems real enough," said Shane, shrugging his shoulders. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No," growled Esme.

Carlisle and Esme stormed out of the chapel, pushing me and Bella back into the shadows. This was all much more fun than I thought it would be. Carlisle ripped the envelope open and pulled out the letter inside. Esme moved behind him so she could read it with him.

"Dear Carlisle, I know you are upset about mine and Edward's decision to get married but you and Esme made it pretty clear that if we want to have sex, then we have to be married first," read Carlisle. "I'm going to fucking kill that boy."

"Finish reading the damn letter," muttered Esme. "We can discuss how we are going to kill them both later."

"I can't help myself, the way his body calls to me." Carlisle shuddered as he read. "Anyway, we hope that you will forgive us and be there to support us. Tonight should be a magical night for us, if you know what I mean."

"Ugh," grumbled Esme.

"And we hope you won't mind if take mine and Esme's room, you know for privacy and all. Love your sister, Bella. This is just fucking great," growled Carlisle, crumpling the letter in his fist. "What the fuck are we supposed to do now?"

"The bitch down at the other one said something about two locations," murmured Esme. "This was the first one so we need to find out where the second one is."

"How are we supposed to do that?" asked Carlisle.

"Maybe the dipshit in there knows," suggested Esme.

Carlisle sighed as he motioned for her to go back inside. Shane was leaning against the wall behind the counter with a smirk on his face. "Can I help you with something else?" he asked.

"Tell us where they went," said Esme, firmly. Shane pursed his lips as he pushed off the wall.

"Afraid I can't do that," he sighed. "I gave them my word not to tell anyone."

"Why would you do that?" asked Carlisle, raising an eyebrow at him. "You don't know them."

"True," admitted Shane, nodding his head as he smiled. "But they pay very well."

"How much did they pay you?" growled Carlisle, pulling out his wallet once again.

"Two hundred," smirked Shane. "Double it and I'll tell you exactly where to go."

"Four hundred fucking dollars," muttered Carlisle, counting out the money. He slammed it on the counter. "Now, fucking tell us."

Shane laughed as he picked up the money and slipped it into his back pocket. "They were going to go to the A Elvis Chapel over on Ninth."

"Fucking Elvis?" snapped Esme. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I didn't get it either but the girl said something about thinking he was like the hottest thing ever," said Shane, shaking his head. Bella gagged again.

"As if," she muttered.

"I told them I would do it here but she seemed set on having the King do it." Shane sighed and picked up his pen. "They were planning on a nine o'clock wedding so if you want to stop them you had better hurry."

Carlisle and Esme merely grunted out an awkward thank you as they stormed back out of the chapel. Bella and I waited for them to get a block or so down before we stepped into the chapel. Shane was sitting behind the counter with his feet propped up and a huge smile on his face.

"So, how'd I do?" he asked.

"Perfect," I said. "But what happened to it only being one hundred dollars?"

"I figured you might need some spending cash," he laughed, handing up two of the four hundred dollars he had gotten from Carlisle. "That was the most fun I've had in a long time."

"Thanks for all the help," said Bella.

"Anything for Mia," he murmured, blushing.

Bella and I exchanged a look as we headed out of the chapel. Shane and Mia, huh? We ran as fast as we could down to A Elvis Chapel. I couldn't wait to see the look on Carlisle and Esme's faces when they were told that it all had been a big prank. We ran into the chapel just as the woman, dressed up as Pricilla Presley, was sitting down behind the desk. She smiled and pointed to the chapel. Bella and I shared a look as we walked over and pulled open the chapel doors. Carlisle and Esme were standing in the front of Elvis.

"I pronounce you husband and wife," smirked Elvis. "Give your woman a kiss, man."

Carlisle smiled as he turned to Esme, cradled her face in his hands and leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Esme brought her arms up around him and, I swear, I saw tongue. I threw up in my mouth. Time seemed to slow down as we watched them kissing. It was revolting and quite disgusting.

"You can't be fucking serious," grumbled Bella. Carlisle and Esme broke apart and looked over at us.

"Like hell we're not," smirked Carlisle. He turned back to my sister. "Let's get out of here, Mrs. Cullen."

Esme smirked as she slipped her arm in through Carlisle's and headed up the aisle toward us. They stopped and Esme leaned over to me and Bella. "Bella, stay with Edward tonight. We, um, need our room."

"Esme," I gasped.

"Ewwww," grimaced Bella, shuddering. "I don't need to think of that."

Carlisle and Esme both laughed as they walked out of the chapel. I looked down at Bella. "Well, fuck," I muttered. "This backfired on us."

"No shit," grumbled Bella.


	47. Chapter 47

47

By the next morning, both Bella and I were cranky. Carlisle and Esme hadn't said anything else to us as we made our way back to the hotel and up to our rooms. In fact besides giving us a wink as they headed into the room that Esme and Bella were sharing, they ignored us completely. I wasn't sure what exactly had happened with our plan. One minute everything was going smoothly and the next thing we knew, Carlisle and Esme were standing in front of the fucking chapel, holding hands, and sucking each other's faces off as Elvis fucking pronounced them as man and wife. Where in the hell did we go wrong?

Bella groaned as she climbed out of my bed and stumbled into the bathroom. I'll admit to watching her as she walked in there, wearing my t-shirt and a pair of my boxers. She was so beautiful. Her long, dark hair was cascading down over her shoulders and down her back. The purple streaks stood out against the dark strands around her. Great, now I had a hard on, I thought.

I rolled over onto my back and grabbed my iPod off the table and popped my earbuds into my ears. Settling on my Hinder playlist, I closed my eyes and tried to block out all thoughts of Carlisle and Esme out of my head and focus on today's matches. Today was going to be so much harder than yesterday was. Yesterday, we were able to weed out those who never stood a chance in this tournament. Today, my opponents were going stronger and tougher than I had fought before.

The bed shifted as Bella climbed back on. She plucked one of my earbuds out of my ears and laid her head on my chest. I smiled and wrapped my arm around her as we listened to the music. I couldn't help but worry about Bella, too. She had lost so much weight over the last couple of months since her parents returned from the dead. Not only that, but what if her parents were there again today? Would they cause a scene or stay in the background again?

As we laid there holding each other and letting the music wash over us, Bella had her hand on my hip. She was sliding her fingers under my t-shirt and along my hip bone, sending shivers rocketing through my body. Her hands were amazing and I wanted them touching me everywhere. I lifted my hand up and ran it down her arm, feeling the goose bumps that erupted along her arm. Bella turned her face into my chest and I felt her smile, even through the t-shirt I was wearing.

Of course, as it always is, our peaceful moment was ruined when the door to the room was thrown open and Carlisle and Esme came stumbling in, both of them wearing smirks on their faces. They didn't even seemed to be bothered by the fact that Bella was wearing my clothes or that we were in the same bed. Stupid motherfucking siblings.

"Rise and shine," cheered Esme, gripping the bottom of the comforter and pulling it off the bed. Thank god, we really were dressed and not laying in the bed naked. "Time to go kick some ass."

"Bitch," spat Bella, popping the earbud out of her ear as I turned off my iPod. She climbed off the bed and shouldered up to Carlisle. "You just wait until Ed finds out that you married his daughter and didn't let him walk her down the fucking aisle, Car. He's going to own your ass."

Carlisle's smirk fell off his face and I climbed off the bed, laughing. "Oh, yeah, he's going to be so fucking pissed," I smirked as I moved over to Esme. "Just wait until Mom finds out that she can't plan your wedding, Es."

Bella laughed as she looked over at me and winked. "See you in a few, Baby. Thanks again for last night. You were amazing, tiger."

"Baby, fireworks," I smirked, licking my lips.

Carlisle and Esme stood there, slack jawed while Bella headed out of my room and over to hers. I laughed as I grabbed my shorts and t-shirt, and headed into the bathroom to get ready for the day. I heard the door slam as I pulled off my pajamas. They were going to learn not to fuck with us one of these days. I quickly changed into the black and red shorts that matched the ones I had worn yesterday and new Cullen Boxing t-shirt. After I brushed my teeth, I headed back out to my room.

Carlisle was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying his hardest not to look at the bed that Bella and I had slept in last night but he was failing miserably. It was almost like he was looking for some kind of sign that Bella and I had had sex last night. I could imagine that he had looked in the trash bins and not found any condom wrappers and started to think that Bella and I had been reckless. As if we would be so fucking stupid.

"Any tips for today?" I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and slipping my shoes on. Carlisle snapped his head over to me, like he was just now realizing that I was there.

"Did you have sex with my sister?" he asked.

"Did you have sex with my sister?" I asked, throwing his words at him. He blushed and looked away, confirming that he did in fact sleep with Esme. I grimaced as I tasted the bile rising in my throat. "Man, this is not a conversation that I wanted to have this morning."

"Edward, you know that I love Esme, don't you?" he asked, seriously.

"Carlisle, that's pretty fucking obvious," I chuckled. "You know that I love Bella, too, don't you? I would never do anything to hurt her."

"I know," he grumbled, leaning forward and placing is elbows on his knees. "Edward, I've never felt for anyone what I feel for Esme. After I thought my parents died and I found myself suddenly responsible for this angry teenage girl, I thought that I was going to end up alone. I loved Esme and I don't want to lose her."

"You won't," I said, standing up and grabbing my bag off the floor. "But you had seriously hope that my dad doesn't cut your dick off for marrying her without letting him give her away."

"We didn't get married," he muttered. I dropped my iPod into my bag and looked over at him. He was sitting there on the edge of the bed with a sheepish smile on his face. "But I fucking want to marry her."

"You didn't marry my sister last night?" I asked.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "We figured it out after Bella's letter that you and she were being a couple of little shits. Nice, pranks, by the way."

"Thanks," I snorted, turning back to my bag. "So you and Esme decided to pretend to get married to do what exactly? Teach us a lesson?"

"Just to fuck with ya," he said, standing up. "Did it work?"

"Yes," I laughed, looking over at him. "When Bella and I decide to take our relationship to that level, I'm going to protect us. We aren't rushing into anything but when we are ready, it will happen."

"Fine," he sighed. "Just take care of her, ok?"

"I promise," I said, sincerely.

Carlisle didn't say anything else as he headed over to the door. Guess that was my cue that it was time to leave. He threw open the door and stepped out just as the door across the hall opened. Bella came storming out of the room and jumped on Carlisle, taking him down to the ground. I guess Esme told her that they weren't actually married.

"You rotten bastard," seethed Bella, pummeling him in the arm and gut. "How could you let us think that you had actually gotten married?"

"Bell-"

"I was up all fucking night worrying about what Ed was going to do to you, you horses ass," she snapped.

I leaned against the doorway to mine and Carlisle's room and watched as Bella beat on her older brother. I wasn't about to get involved in their fight. Besides, Carlisle deserved it. The doors along the hallway were thrown open and Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Ed, and Elizabeth came rushing out. Emmett and Jasper came rushing over and pulled Bella off of Carlisle, while Esme stood in the doorway with wide, fearful eyes.

"What the hell is going on, Bell?" asked Emmett, shoving her into Jasper's arms as she tried to lunge for Carlisle. He scrambled to his feet and moved away from her.

"Jesus Christ, Bella," snapped Carlisle. "It was a fucking joke, ok?"

"A joke?" she screeched, snidely, fighting against Jasper. "You could have told us that last night but no, you and Esme let us think that you two had fucking gotten married last night."

"What?" snapped Elizabeth. Esme and Carlisle both paled as they looked from my girl over to my mother, who was glaring the ever living fuck out of both of them. "You got married?"

"No," they said, quickly.

"We only pretended to get married to get back at Edward and Bella for sending us on a wild goose hunt after they let it seem like they were getting married," said Esme, looking over at me. She was clearly explaining that if they were going down, then she was taking me and Bella with them.

"Damn you, Esme," I muttered as everyone looked over at me. I gestured to Esme and Carlisle. "They started it. We were paying them back for butting into our lives."

"What did they do?" asked Emmett, folding his arms in front of his chest. Bella's face turned bright red as she pulled herself out of Jasper's embrace.

"It doesn't matter," she muttered, picking up her bag off the floor. "The point is nobody got married and we can just…let it go now." She turned and looked back at Carlisle and Esme. "Truce?"

"Truce," they muttered, shifting their eyes to the ground.

"Truce, Edward?" whispered Esme.

"Yeah, truce," I murmured, clearing my throat.

"Good, good," said Carlisle, nodding his head like an idiot. "Let's, um, let's get going. Big day today."

I grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her down the hallway after Esme and Carlisle. Everyone else called after us to stop but we ignored them. There was no way in hell I was telling Emmett or Jasper or my dad that the reason Bella and I pulled the prank on Carlisle and Esme was because they had been pushing birth control methods on us. I wasn't fucking suicidal, for fuck sake. The four of us stepped onto the elevator and headed down to the lobby.

"So we agree that the details of the last few days are to be kept private, right?" asked Bella, staring at the doors. "They don't need to know about…everything."

"Deal," muttered Carlisle. "Don't fucking hit me anymore, Bella. It fucking hurts."

"Don't make me hit you anymore," she smirked, looking over at him. "You big fucking baby."

"Bitch," he spat.

"Asshat," she growled.

Before he could say anything else, the doors to the elevator opened. Bella pulled on my hand and I followed her out. Carlisle and Esme followed us out and we headed into the Arena for day two of our boxing tournament. The moment we stepped inside, all teasing vanished and we all became serious.

"Let's go," said Carlisle, looking back at me and Bella.

We followed him down the cement steps to get our fighting schedules for today. We were joined a few minutes later by Emmett, Jasper, and Ed. I looked up into the stands and saw Elizabeth sitting with Esme, Rose, and Alice. She smiled and nodded her head, silently telling me that she was with me. It was just too hard for her to stay ring side with me and I understood that.

"Ok, Bella, you're over in ring seven for your first match," said Carlisle, looking through our schedules. He looked up at his sister. "You have six fights today so conserve as much as you can, ok?"

"I'm on it," she said, seriously. She turned to me. "Kick some ass."

"You too," I said, pulling into my arms and kissing her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she murmured, leaning against my lips again.

She pulled away and followed Jasper and Emmett, who had been pretending not to notice us kissing. Carlisle led me and Ed over to ring two, where my first match of the day was going to be held. I stuck my hands out so that Carlisle could tape them up and get my gloves on. While he was doing that I, looked over that at the boy I was going to be fighting today. We were still just a number today so I didn't know his name.

Number 87 was a tall, thin boy with dark black hair that hung down into his face, and dark beady eyes. He was leaning into his trainer, speaking quickly as they looked over at me. They were forming their plan. I turned my attention back to Carlisle as he shoved the gloves onto my hands. My father placed my head gear on, making sure it was tight but not too tight. He let his hands fall onto my shoulders as he looked down at me.

"You got this, son," he said, quietly. "Keep your feet moving and-"

"My elbows in," I muttered, nodding my head. "I got it."

"Have fun," he smiled, holding my mouth piece up for me.

Once I had my mouth piece in, I climbed into the ring and faced Number 87. We met in the middle and bumped our gloves together, all while he tried to stare me down. Oh, this was going to be another one of those people who tried to intimate me. I moved back into my corner and waited for the referee to start our match, which he did a minute later.

I kept my eyes locked on Number 87 as he started moving around the ring. For a tall guy, he had very shallow steps. He stepped toward me and threw a left hook, which I dodged and threw my right into his side. He groaned but quickly gathered himself up, tightening his arms into his sides. He came back at me and threw a right jab, which I blocked but I wasn't able to stop the left that followed. I threw a left roundhouse, catching him on the side of the head. He spun around and fell back into the ropes.

I wasted no time as I closed in the distance between us and started pummeling my gloves onto his body and head. I couldn't give this guy an inch. After a couple of minutes, the referee pulled me back and pushed me back toward my corner. Number 87 stumbled into his corner and hung on the ropes as his trainer started checking him out. His trainer looked over at the referee and shook his head.

"Winner is number 157," announced the Referee, gesturing to me.

I climbed out of the ring and spit out my mouth piece. "Fuck, he got me good," I grumbled as Carlisle started checking the new bruise forming around my eye. It would just match the one from yesterday. Carlisle pressed down on it and I wince. "What fucking part of that hurts, don't you get?" I snapped.

"Sorry," he said, dryly. I could tell he wasn't sorry but whatever. "It's going to be a nasty bruise that's for sure."

"No shit," I muttered. "When's my next match?"

"Ten minutes, same ring," said Carlisle, wiping the sweat off my face and arms. "You did good, just keep your free arm up a little more."

"Has she fought yet?" I asked.

"Just started but I don't know the results yet," muttered Carlisle, pushing me back onto the small bench behind me. "Rest."

I glared at him but didn't say anything as I sat down on the bench and tried to conserve my energy. There really wasn't any point of arguing with the man. After a few more minutes, I popped my mouth piece back into my mouth and climbed back into the ring to face my next opponent, Number 197. He was a short, stout boy with dark curly hair. He had his eyes trained on the mats as the referee called us to meet in the middle. He looked up at me and his dark eyes hardened. He was in for the kill.

We bumped gloves and headed back to our corners. The referee started the match and Number 197 came rushing at me. I ducked as he threw his left roundhouse at me, catching him in the side with my right jab. He quickly turned and started throwing his fists around. He was like a crazy man, trying to hit anyone, or anything, in his way. I knew the trick to beating him was to wear him out enough that he would slow down just enough that he would tire himself out. Of course, that was easier said than done. Number 197 was a man on a mission and his mission was to take me out.

By the end of the second round, he had managed to hit me in the nose, left side of my jaw, and my right rib cage. However, I had managed to get in several rib shots, two hits to the jaw, and several onto the side of his head. The third round started and I noticed that he was moving much slower than he had at the beginning. I stepped up and pushed him into the ropes, throwing my right jab, followed by my left. Number 197 groaned as I hit the already sore spots on his ribs. He tried to hit me with a left but I blocked it with my right and countered with my left, clipping him in the jaw and sending him to the mats.

I moved back to my corner as the referee assessed his condition. "Winner, Number 157," called the referee, holding my arm up.

I climbed out of the ring and pit out my mouth piece, wincing as my jaw ached. "When's my next match?" I asked, rolling my neck.

"You have half an hour," said Carlisle, pulling off my head gear. "Better?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "How's Bella doing?"

"Kicking some ass," smiled Carlisle. "Won her first and on her way to winning her second one right now."

"Good," I whispered as Ed pulled off my gloves and handed me a bottle of water. "Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome," he said, quietly.

I took another swig of water as I followed Ed and Carlisle over to my next ring. Ed pulled the nearly empty bottle out of my hand so that Carlisle could refit my gloves. My arms and shoulders were already sore and I wasn't even half way done for the day. As Carlisle taped my gloves, Ed put my head gear back on. I could see the worry in my father's eyes, and even if he wouldn't say anything, this was much harder than he was letting on. I brought one of my gloved hands up and laid it on his shoulder, trying to silently tell him that I understood and it was ok.

"You can do it," he muttered, clearing his throat.

Once I had my mouth piece back in, I turned and climbed into the ring. My third opponent of the day was Number 213. He was thick necked boy, who kind of reminded me of a smaller, less scary version of Emmett. The only difference was that the boy in front of me had a head full of snow white hair on top of his head. We met in the middle, nodding at each other as we bumped out gloves, and headed back to our corners. The referee stepped in the middle of us, looked at the two of us and blew his whistle, starting my third match of the day.

Number 213 came out of his corner but didn't come right at me. He started moving around the ring, slowly watching my feet and hands. I decided that with his guy, I was going to need to go on the offensive so I stepped up before he had a chance to do anything and threw a right jab followed by a left uppercut. He stumbled back but quickly managed to get his feet back under him. However, that did little to help him as I closed the gap and continues my strike upon him. He brought his hands up, trying to block my hits but I was able to vary the blows well enough that after a few more jabs to his body, he was down.

The referee pushed me toward my corner while he checked on Number 213. A moment later, he came over and grabbed my arm, lifting it in the air and declared me the winner. I thanked him and climbed out of the ring, spitting my mouth piece out again.

"Number 157." I turned to see Number 213, standing behind me with one arm around his trainer. "Good luck. You did good."

"Thanks," I said, nodding at him. "You were good, too."

"Not good enough," he snorted. "At least for today. I'm sure I'll see you around."

"Maybe," I muttered. He and his trainer left and I turned back to Carlisle and Edward. "That was weird."

"Yep," said Carlisle. "Ok, you have an hour and a half before you next match, so let's go check in on Bella."

Once we had my gloves and headgear stowed away inside my bag again, I followed Carlisle and Ed over to where Bella was fighting. I settled on the bench, next to Emmett and Jasper as Bella fought against the girl in the ring with her. Number 21 was a beast of a girl, standing several inches over Bella. Normally, that would concern me but seeing as Bella had the girl pinned in the corner, pummeling the shit out of her, I wasn't too concerned.

A moment later, the referee, a short butch woman, broke them apart and sent Bella back to her corner. She looked right down at me and smiled around her mouth piece. The referee declared Bella the winner and she climbed out of her ring, let Emmett and Jasper pull off her gloves and headgear before she came over and jumped into my arms, pressing her lips down onto mine.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Good, won so far but, fuck, it's been a bitch," I muttered, setting her on her feet. "Three matches down, three to go. How about you?"

"Two down, four more to go," she sighed. "But I've won so far, so that's good."

"Excuse me, Miss Cullen, Mr. Masen?" asked a deep, male voice. Bella and I looked over to see a tall man with dark black hair and eyes standing a couple of feet away from us. He smiled as he looked between the two of us. "I'm Phil Dwyer. I'd like to talk to you both about a scholarship to UCLA."


	48. Chapter 48

48

BPOV

I stood there next to Edward looking at the man who called himself Phil Dwyer like he had just told me that aliens were landing on the earth and we should all run for cover. Had I heard him correctly? Was he seriously wanting to talk to me and Edward about scholarships to UCLA? I looked from Phil up at Edward, who seemed just as shocked as I was.

"What?" I asked, turning my eyes back to the dark haired man standing in front of us. He smiled bigger as he placed his hands on his hips.

"I run the boxing program over at UCLA. We are a relatively new program. Well, honestly, college boxing is a new sport but I am hoping that it's going to take off in the next year or so," explained Phil. I could see his lips moving but I couldn't seem to focus on anything that he was actually saying.

"What?" I asked, again. From beside me, I could hear my brothers laughing at how stupid I sounded but this man was talking about us boxing in college. It was so…surreal.

"I am interested in you and Mr. Masen coming to box for me at UCLA," said Phil, slowly as he looked at me.

"Seriously?" asked Edward.

Phil chuckled. "Yes, seriously," he said, looking from me to Edward. "Mr. Masen, I saw you box in Seattle and, if I'm being honest here, I was shocked as hell that you were just a beginner. You have great technique and a good eye for your competition. Plus, if what I have seen here stays true, you will be quite the force to reckon with in the finals tomorrow."

"Oh, um, thanks, I guess," muttered Edward, turning pink around the ears. Phil smiled and looked over at me.

"And, well, Miss Cullen, I had been watching you a few years ago. I was happy to see you back in the sport," said Phil. I looked down at my feet, unsure of what to say to him right now. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to say. "I would love to sit down with you and your families sometime soon and discuss some of the details."

"How about we meet for dinner?" suggested Carlisle, moving so that he was standing in front of me. "They need to focus on their matches but once they get through this round, we can sit down and talk a few things out."

"Sounds good to me," smiled Phil, pulling a card out of his back pocket. "Give me a call when you are done and we can meet somewhere."

"Ok." Carlisle nodded his head as he pocketed the card.

"Well, good luck on the rest of your matches," said Phil, before he turned and walked away. Carlisle looked back at me, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you know," he snorted. "Some college actually wants you."

"Asshat," I growled, hitting him in the arm.

"Bella, stop fucking hitting me," he whined, rubbing his arm. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Edward.

"How long until your next fight?" I asked.

"Um, about an hour, I think," he smiled. "Let's go sit down and rest while your brother whines about his arm hurting."

"Ok," I giggled.

Carlisle called us both a couple of little shits but everyone else, including Ed, was laughing at with us. I loved my big brother but he could be the biggest baby sometimes. Edward and I made our way up into the bleachers and took a seat away from everyone. He pulled his iPod out of his bag and offered me an earbud. I blushed like he had just gotten down on one knee and asked me to marry him as I took it. I placed the object in my ear and laid my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes and letting Linkin Park take me away.

It felt like Edward and I had just sat down when Jasper and Emmett came over and told me it was time to head over to my next match. I sighed inwardly as I gave Edward his earbud back and kissed him, wishing him luck on his next match. I still had four matches today and I knew they were only going to get harder as the day wore on. I followed my brothers down to ring number six. Jasper pulled my hands to him and started ripping off the tape from earlier so he could redo my hands while Emmett started massaging my shoulders.

"Who am I fighting this time?" I asked.

"Number 85," muttered Jasper as he started wrapping the tape around my hands.

I looked over to the other side of the ring where a tall, butch girl with about twenty pounds on me stood with her trainer. She had long, dark hair and big eyes. She was nodding her head to whatever her trainer was telling her. She looked right at me and smirked, confirming that she and her trainer were taking battle plans. Fucking bitch was going down.

Jasper finished getting my hands taped and shoved my gloves on, popped my mouth piece in, and gave me a look as Emmett strapped my head gear on. Neither of them needed to say anything to me. We were saying everything we needed to with our eyes. I knew I was going to have to try to conserve my energy, which meant I either had to figure out how to take this bitch out early or make her do all the work and take her out later. As I climbed into the ring, I saw number 85 stumble over her feet. Taking her out early seemed to be the most logical plan.

Once we had met in the middle, bumped gloves and all that nice, sportsmanlike shit, we both moved back into our corners. The referee stood between us, glaring at us both as if to tell us to fight nice or don't get caught fighting dirty at least. The first round started and she moved out the way as Number 85 and I moved toward each other.

I took a moment to watch the way she moved. She was lazy and let her feet drag against the mats instead of picking them up. Even though she had her arms up, I could tell by the strain on her muscles that she wasn't conditioned to do so for very long. Inwardly, I smirked as I stepped to her, throwing my left hook at her. Like I knew she would, she blocked it with her right and tried to counter with her left. However, she was unsteady on her feet and I was able to get her to stumble back into the ropes. Her trainer was yelling at her to move her feet but she seemed frozen as I closed the gap between us and started pummeling her with my gloved fists, striking her on her arms, torso, and the side of her head.

Number 85 groaned as I assaulted her body, pushing her further into the ropes. The referee pulled me back, shoving me roughly into my corner. She knelt down next to my opponent and started checking her out. I was panting as the adrenaline surged through my body. The referee stood up and moved over to me, grabbing my arm and hoisting it up in the air.

"Winner!" she announced, looking back over at me. "Good luck."

I nodded my head at her and climbed out of the ring. Jasper held up a small bowl for me to spit my mouth piece into. He and Emmett lead me over to my next ring, where I would face yet another competitor. This time I was up against a girl who had short cropped off, dirty blond hair and small, dark eyes. She wasn't much taller than I was. She had a number pinned to the front of her purple t-shirt, number 163.

"Ok, you did good in the last match, Bell, but this time I want you to lay back and let her do all the work," instructed Jasper. I looked back over at him.

"Has Edward started his next match?" I asked.

"He was fixing to," said Jasper. "Now, last time you got the jump on her but you need to conserver more. You still have two more matches after this one and you don't want to get tired."

"I know," I spat, angrily. He was talking to me like I was a fucking toddler for fuck sake! "I'm not a fucking idiot!"

"I never said you were," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "I am just trying to help but if you think you can do better without me, then I will go get Ali and we will find something better to do."

"Fucking baby," I grumbled.

Jasper ignored me while Emmett snickered under his breath. At least he knew better than to open his fucking mouth and smart off to either of us right now. Jasper shoved my mouth piece back into my mouth and pushed me toward the ring. If I hadn't had a girl to beat, I would have kicked his ass right there and then. Instead, I climbed into the ring and prepared myself for Number 163. As in the other match, our referee stepped into our ring and called us to the middle. Number 163 and I bumped gloves and headed back into our own separate corners. I watched her as she moved back. She looked nervous and tense. It was almost like she wasn't sure if she should be here or not. I shook all those thoughts out of my head as the referee started our match.

I stepped toward the girl and she flinched slightly. From the sidelines, I heard her trainer telling her to relax and follow her instincts. Sound advice but number 163 wasn't listening to it at all. She was nearly pissing her pants, she was so scared. I decided that it would be better to just get this match over with and get a few extra minutes to relax before my next match. I pulled my arms up in front of me as I stepped over to the girl, ignoring Jasper and Emmett as they yelled at me to back off, and hit the girl with my left. She squeaked and pulled her arm up to block me but I was faster than she was and followed with my right, then another left.

Over and over, I struck her and she cried out around her mouth piece. She crumbled to the ground and I stepped back, letting the referee in to check her. Without a word to me, the referee declared me the winner. I climbed out of the ring and spit my mouth piece out, ignoring the glares that were coming from my brothers. If I knew anything about this sport, it was reading my competition.

"How long until my next match?" I asked, rolling my neck so that I would stay loose.

"Twenty minutes," muttered Jasper, turning and walking away from me.

I rolled my eyes at him as I followed. He could be as pissed as he wanted but I knew what I was doing. That girl had no chance against me and there was no point in prolonging the agony of her defeat any longer. Jasper led me and Emmett over to ring seven.

My next match was over before it started. Number 76 lasted a whole minute in the ring with me before she dropped to the mats and forfeited the match to me. It was disappointing and annoying but it meant that I had a longer break and I could really rest. I followed my brothers over to my next ring and took a seat on one of the benches. I watched the two girls that were currently fighting. The bigger of the two, at least twice the size that I was, had her opponent against the ropes and was pummeling the shit out of her, hitting her with so much force that I could hear the snap of the gloves hitting the girls body. I couldn't understand why the referee didn't break the match up. It was clear that the bigger of the two was going to win.

After a few more minutes and several body checks, the referee finally ended the match. The smaller of the two girls, stumbled into her corner, cradling her arm up to her ribs. I suspected that she had at least one broken ribs, if not more than one. The larger girl climbed out of the ring and looked over at me, smirking like she was the shit and I should be impressed with her defeat of a smaller and weaker girl. I wasn't. I stared her down until she turned and followed her trainer. Something told me that I was going to see her again.

As she walked away, another girl, Number 226, took her side of the ring. She was about the same size as I was, well defined muscles and a toned body. She had curly red head and bright blue eyes. It was clear that she trained hard and was going to be a challenge to me in the ring. Number 226 clapped her hands together and brought them over her head, stretching her biceps and trying to stay loose. Her trained was rubbing her shoulders, while whispering in her ear. She was completely focused on him and was paying no attention to the fact that I was watching every single thing she did.

"Ok, Bella," sighed Emmett, kneeling down in front of me. "This girl isn't going to be the pushover that the last three were. You have to conserve your energy."

"I know," I muttered, eyeing her closely. "She's going to be tough but I can beat her."

"Keep your feet moving and protect your sides," said Emmett, placing his hands on my shoulders. I tore my eyes off of Number 226 and looked at my brother. "You can do this, just fight smart."

"I will," I said, quietly.

Emmett smiled and nodded his head before offering me my mouth piece. Once I was ready, I stood up and climbed into the ring. Number 226 met me in the middle and we bumped our gloves against each others. Unlike my previous competitors, she smiled around her mouth piece. It was something new as I wasn't used to it. I merely nodded my head in response to her and headed back to my corner. The referee gave us each a hard look before she started our match. Just as I suspected, Number 226 stepped toward me but didn't attack. She was waiting for me to make the first move. She was smart, I'll give her that.

As she moved from side to side, testing my reflexes and balance, I took the time to watch her. While she was strong, and disciplined, I knew I would take her down. Her left arm gradually lowered, leaving her wide open for an attack. However, I knew that I was going to have to be patient and take my time. She wasn't some scared, weak girl that was going to cry when I kicked her ass.

I stepped closer to her, pulling my elbows in and protecting myself from the storm that I knew was coming. I threw a left, but she blocked it and tried to counter with her own left jab. However, I blocked it and pushed her into the ropes. She skirted out of the way and I followed her, throwing a left roundhouse and then a right hook. The roundhouse was blocked but the right hook connected to her jaw. She didn't even flinch. In fact, she countered with her own right hook, connecting to my eye and pushing me back.

Over and over through the next two rounds, Number 226 and I continued to battle against each other. I managed to get a handful of hits on her body, arms, and face, including a nice shot to her nose. She managed to hit me back, mostly on my arms and chest but she did get my in the eye again. I was sure I was going to be sporting a very deep, very sore black eye tomorrow.

At the end of the second round, I shuffled over to my corner and spit out my mouth piece. Emmett didn't say anything as he held my water bottle up and poured some into my mouth. I felt like I was a fish, gasping as I tried to swallow the cold liquid. My throat was dry and my breath was coming in short pants.

"Ok, Bella, you've got this," said Jasper, wiping my face off with a cold towel. "Just hang in there and keep your feet moving."

"I'm trying," I muttered. "Her fists feel like fucking lead weights."

"I know," he whispered, quietly.

Jasper didn't say anything else as he popped my mouth piece back into my mouth. He placed his hands on my shoulders, silently encouraging me to push on and get it taken care of. I took a deep breath as I made my back into the middle of the ring to start the third and final round of this match. Number 226 looked like she was barely making it, as well. Her face was dripping with sweat and her arms were hanging lower than they were at the beginning of our match up. I smirked inwardly as I drew on every ounce of strength I had and went on the offensive.

Number 226 came at me, swinging her right arm wide. I blocked it and threw my own right into her ribs. She grunted for the first time in our match and I knew I had hit a sore spot. She stumbled back and I closed the gap between us, hitting her over and over in her arms and head. She blocked a few of them before she pushed me back, coming after me. Her left hook connected to the side of my head and I let out my own cry as pain radiated through my head. She tried to counter with her right but I blocked it and pushed her off of me. She fell back against the ropes and I attacked.

She tried to defend herself against my gloves but she slid to the ground just as the round ended. The referee moved to help her up but I beat her to it. I wrapped my arms around my competitor and hoisted her to her feet, helping her over to her corner. Nodding my head at her, I moved to my corner and spit out my mouth piece and shoved my hands into Emmett.

"Get these fucking gloves off of me," I gasped, trying to bring air into my lungs. Her tore them off, tossing them onto the floor next to my bag. I bent over and tried to catch my breath. My body was already starting to ache from her punches.

"Hands above your head, Bell," murmured Jasper, pulling me back up and holding my arms up. "You did really good, sis. Really good."

"She was tough," I muttered, taking another deep breath.

"Yeah, she was," he said, quietly.

Emmett pulled my head gear off and handed me a cold bottle of water while we waited for the referee to get the judges' decision on the outcome of our match. It only took me a couple of gulps to finish the water. I handed Emmett back the empty bottle and took the towel he was holding, wiping the sweat from my forehead and neck. I was going to need to take a nice, long shower.

"The winner is Number…"


	49. Chapter 49

49

EPOV

"Edward, get your ass off the ropes," yelled Carlisle.

I stifled the urge to roll my eyes as I pushed the guy I was fighting off of me. Number 57 was a large boy with long curly hair that had been pulled back into a greasy, sweaty ponytail. He was wearing a black tank top and his large, fleshy chest was rubbing against my arms, making me want to scrub off every inch of my skin. He stumbled back into the ropes on the opposite side of the ring and I went on the offensive.

I shouldered up to him, throwing my fists into his body, hitting him wherever I could find a place to connect with. He seemed surprised that I was attacking him so viciously as he curled his body up and dropped the mats, whimpering quietly. The referee pushed me back and I stifled my laughter at the boy. He did know that this was a boxing match, didn't he?

Moments later, the referee declared me the winner, wishing me luck in my matches tomorrow. I nodded my head before I climbed out of the ring. As I spit my mouth piece out, I noticed that the guy I had fought this morning, Number 213, watching me from the stands. He smiled and nodded his head before he stood up and headed up the bleachers. It was weird that he had been watching me fight.

"You did good," said Carlisle, pulling my gloves off while Ed pulled my headgear off. Carlisle reached up and pressed down on a cut I had over my left eye. I winced and muttered for him to fuck off, which only caused him to laugh. "Yeah, that's going to sting like a son of a bitch when you shower but it's pretty shallow."

I ignored him as I grabbed my bag and headed over to where Bella was fighting with him and my father following me. She was in the middle of her ring, fighting for her life against the girl with her. The redhead threw her fist into the side of Bella's head, causing her to cry out. It was the first time I had ever seen her show any type of weakness in the ring. As she countered with right, I noticed that the entire arena was completely silent. Looking around, I noticed that everyone was watching her and the other girl fight with bated breathes.

Sitting up in the stands, on the other side of the arena, were Nolan and Corrine. They were sitting on the edge of their seats, watching their youngest child fight the hardest match she had ever had to fight so far. Corrine was running her hands over her face, almost like she was trying to stop herself from running down and pulling her daughter out of the ring. Nolan had one hand on her knee, trying to keep her calm down or maybe trying to keep her in her seat. His eyes, however, were trained on his daughter and the girl she was fighting.

I turned my eyes away from them as the referee ended the match. Bella pulled her competitor up and carried her over to her corner, showing the ultimate respect for the girl. Bella shuffled over to her corner and spit out her mouth piece. She shoved her gloves into Emmett's chest, begging him to pull her gloves off. I had never seen her so vulnerable after a match like she was right now. She grabbed the bottle of water Emmett was holding out to her and drained it. She tossed him the empty bottle and grabbed the towel, wiping away the sweat from her face and arms. The referee moved back into the middle of the ring. She looked between Bella and her competitor for a moment.

"The winner is Number…" she trailed off as she looked around. "108!"

The entire building erupted in cheers, drawing Bella's attention to the fact that everyone had been watching her, eagerly anticipating the outcome of her match. Her checks turned a rosy red as she thanked the referee and climbed out of the ring. Bella looked up and saw me waiting for her. The most amazing smile spread across her face, causing my own to follow. She ran over and jumped in my arms, wrapping her arms and legs around me. We didn't need to speak right now, we were saying so much with our actions. We both had had a challenging few matches and just needed to hold onto each other for a few moments.

"Number 108," called the girl Bella had just fought. Bella looked over her shoulder at her. "Nice match."

"Thanks," said Bella, smiling. "You were really good. I almost thought you were going to get me."

"Maybe next time," she laughed. "Good luck tomorrow."

The girl turned and walked away with her trainer. Bella smiled bigger as she looked back over at me, pressing her forehead down onto mine. "You look like shit," she whispered.

"I feel a little like shit," I murmured. "You look good, though."

"Oh, yeah, bruises are all the rage," she said, sardonically as she placed her feet on the ground. "But I won all my matches so I move on to tomorrow."

"Me too," I smiled, kissing her. "I'm proud of you."

"You are?" she asked. I nodded my head.

"Edward, Bella, lets get up to our rooms," said Carlisle, moving over to us. "You both need to shower before we meet with Phil Dwyer for dinner."

Bella's eyes fluttered to a close as she nodded her head, silently telling him that we were coming. I slipped my arm around her waist as we headed up the cement steps and followed everyone out. Suddenly, Bella stopped and looked back. I followed her gaze and found her watching her parents as they walked out on the opposite side. She frowned as she looked up at me.

"Did you know they were here?" she asked.

"I noticed them right after your match ended," I murmured. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling weakly. "Is it wrong that I like that they are at least watching me fight? I mean, I know that I pushed them away but…"

"No, it's not wrong," I said, quietly as I leaned my head down onto hers. "Maybe it's a step forward."

"Maybe," she whispered.

"Bella, Edward, let's go," yelled Carlisle.

Bella and I looked up and saw him standing by the large, metal doors that led out of the arena. Esme was standing next to him, clutching onto his hand. Bella sighed as she looked back across the arena but her parents were already gone. Ducking her head, she and I turned and headed up to where everyone was waiting for us. Carlisle gave her a look, but she just shook her head and walked past him.

The trip up the elevator felt like it took forever. Bella stood with her head resting on my chest and we both ignored the sighs and whispers that were coming from Elizabeth, Rose, and Alice. Clearly, they thought it was cute or sweet that she was resting on me. Mentally, I rolled my eyes at them. The doors opened and I pulled Bella out, leaving them all there with goofy, disgusting grins on their faces. I kissed her before heading into my room and letting her go into hers. After grabbing some clean clothes, I walked straight into bathroom.

The hot water felt great on my tight muscles. I could already feel the soreness starting to build and knew that tomorrow was going to be a challenge. My body had already been put through the ringer and I wasn't sure how much more I could take. Slowly, I could feel the grim being washed off my body. I can't think if the last time I had sweated this much. After letting the hot water wash over me for several minutes, I turned it off and dried off. I stepped out of the shower and pulled on my boxers, jeans, and white dress shirt. I headed back out to the room and slipped on my socks and shoes, stifling my groan at how sore I was already feeling.

When I stepped out of my room, I found Bella standing against the wall across from my room. I couldn't stop the smile that sprang up on my face when I saw her. She was wearing a denim skirt and red tank top with a black skull on it. I reached over and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her closer to me. She blushed as she looked up into my eyes. I was fixing to tell her how beautiful she looked but was stopped when I heard a loud squeal. Snapping my head to the side, I saw Alice and Rose standing in front of Jasper and Emmett. Alice was bouncing up and down, clearly happy about something.

"Dude, Bella is wearing a skirt," smarted off Emmett, hitting Jasper in the arm.

"She must have gotten hit pretty fucking hard in the head," smirked Jasper. Bella stepped away from me and stormed down the hall to the elevator.

"Ignore them, Bella," squealed Alice. "You look so cute!"

"Fuck off, Pixie," snapped Bella as I followed her.

Emmett, Rose, and Jasper all laughed as Alice huffed. Bella and I let the doors to the elevator close before they could join us. She moved over and laid her head in my chest again, fisting the sides of my shirt in her hands. I wasn't sure if it was just because she was exhausted after a long day of boxing or if it was seeing her parents, but she was clearly struggling with everything that she was feeling at the moment. I slipped my arms around her, holding her as tightly as I could. I would make sure she was okay.

The doors opened once we reached the lobby and we stepped out to find Ed, Elizabeth, Carlisle, and Esme sitting with Phil Dwyer on a large collection of sofas. Bella tensed up just a little as we headed over to join them. I knew it was because new people scared her and Phil obviously knew a lot about her family and their place in the boxing world. However, I also knew that we have to sit down with him and discuss his offer for us to come fight at UCLA. It was too good of an offer not to at least consider, especially since our options are kind of limited right now anyway.

Phil stood up and offered us a hand to shake as we approached him. Bella took his hand first and then I did. We settled down on the sofa across from him, Carlisle, and Esme. Before anyone could say anything, Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice join us. Alice glared at Bella, who didn't seem like she cared that Alice was pissed. Honestly, I don't think she did. Phil cleared his throat as he turned and looked right at me and Bella.

"Well, I have to say that I was really impressed with your afternoon matches," he said, smiling. "They weren't easy, were they?"

"No, they weren't," I said, agreeing with him. "But we came out ahead in the end. That's what's important, right?"

"Right," he smiled, nodding his head. He looked around at everyone as he spoke again. "I was thinking that we would grab some dinner here at the hotel, that way these two don't have to be on their feet anymore than they have to be. They look tuckered out."

Everyone agreed with him so we followed him into the hotel restaurant. He spoke to the hostess, who smiled and led us to a private room in the back. I suppose when you are seating eleven people that you try to give them as much privacy as you can. As we took our seats around the table, Phil ended up taking the seat across from me and Bella. My parents sat on my left while Carlisle and Esme took the seats to Bella's right. Emmett and Rose sat on Phil's left while Jasper and Alice took the seats to his right.

Our waitress came in and took our drink orders. Everyone else ordered soft drinks but Bella and I both just ordered water. We needed to replenish our bodies so that we didn't get dehydrated; something that Phil noticed and smiled about. We made small talk while we waited for her to come back with our drinks. Well, they mostly made small talk. Bella and I sat next to each other, too tired to say much. I had my arm on the back of her seat and she was turned into my body with her hand on my knee.

Once our waitress delivered our drinks and took our dinner order, Phil leaned back in his seat and looked between me and Bella. "So," he said, "I'm sure you both have a few questions for me."

"A few," agreed Bella, looking up at him. "Why us?"

"Because you both are two of the best fighters I've come across in a long time," he replied, honestly. "I've been working for the last five years at trying to build a boxing program through UCLA. There aren't a lot of schools that have a program at all and I think that's a shame. Boxing is one of those sports where you have to be both strong, physically and mentally, and have incredible endurance. You both have that."

"Are you offering me a scholarship because my last name is Cullen?" asked Bella, getting straight to the point. Phil smiled as he crossed his arms in front of him.

"No," he said. "I'm not going to lie, Bella, and tell you that I don't know about your families influence in the boxing community, because I do. I fought against several of your father's boys back in the day."

"Yeah?" asked Bella.

"Yeah, and I got my butt kicked every time," laughed Phil. "Your parents knew what they were doing, Bella, but you're not them. Now, I am not going to pretend to know what has gone on between you and them, and I don't really need to know. I want you to come to my school and box for me because I think you are an amazing fighter. You, not them."

Bella sighed and shook her head. "I don't know if I can trust you."

"Bella," muttered Carlisle. "You are being rude."

Phil waved him off. "I know you don't trust me, Bella," he smiled. "You don't know me, therefore you don't trust me. All I can do is ask you to give me the benefit of the doubt and take a chance."

"I don't know," muttered Bella, shaking her head.

"What are you offering us exactly?" I asked, tightening my arm around her shoulder. Phil broke his eyes from her and moved them onto me.

"I am offering you and Bella full rides to UCLA," he explained. "We typically have five big tournaments in a season. Our season starts in December and goes into April. We train hard. I accept nothing but your very best at all times. Is that something you both can offer me, because if it's not, then I should just leave now," he said.

"Of course we can," said Bella, harshly. "We only give our best in everything we do."

"Good," he smiled. "I don't expect a decision today or tomorrow. I want you to really think about what you want. Right now, there aren't a lot of schools out there with boxing programs. So your choices are going to be pretty fucking limited on where you can go, if you are wanting to pursue boxing any further than where you are now."

"Doesn't sound like you are convinced that we are in this for the long run," I said, dryly. His smile grew as he looked from Bella over to me, once again.

"I'm not," he said, "but I'm willing to take the chance."

"Why?" asked Carlisle, piping up for the first time.

"Because I believe if they want to, they could be great," explained Phil. "These amateur tournaments aren't going to make them the best fighters they can be. With the exception of a few decent fighters, they aren't going to find anyone who is really going to challenge them to dig deep and really pull out what they are made of. I can promise you that in my program, they are going to find that."

Our waitress started bringing out our food and nothing else was said about Bella and I going to UCLA or fighting at all. As we ate our dinner, everyone else broke out into small private conversations. Everyone but me and Bella, anyway. She ate most of her club sandwich but didn't touch her fries. She laid her head on my shoulder as we all finished eating our dinner. Phil kept looking over at the two of us, smiling every once in a while.

After about an hour, Bella and I thanked everyone for dinner and headed back upstairs to our rooms. It had been a long day and I think we both were needing some quiet time. The ride up to our floor felt like it took forever and when the doors finally opened, Bella muttered "about fucking time" under her breath. I chuckled quietly and led her down the hallway to mine and Carlisle's room. She smiled as I pulled her inside and locked the door, making it impossible for him to come in here tonight. He could stay with Esme for all I cared, I wanted to hold Bella in my arms tonight.

Bella and I laid down on the bed, both groaning as we did. She scooted over and rested her head on my chest, sighing as she relaxed. I brought my hand up and started running it down her arm, enjoying the effect I had on her as her arm broke out into goose bumps. Bella looked up at me, innocence rolling off of her. I rolled us so that she was laying under me and brought my hand up to cup her cheek. She was so beautiful, even with the bruises and the black-eye.

"Edward," she whispered, licking her lips.

I leaned down, closing the gap between us and capturing her lips with mine. Bella moaned and brought her hands up, weaving her small fingers in my hair. She pulled slightly, causing me to growl into her mouth. Bella moaned again, bringing her leg up and wrapping it around the back of my leg, pulling all my weight down onto her. My cock was rapidly growing harder and rubbing against the seam of my boxer briefs. Bella's skirt had ridden up around her hips, showing off her white cotton panties. Nothing was sexier than white, cotton panties.

Bella pulled her lips off of mine, arching her neck as I moved down. I needed to taste her skin, every inch I could taste. Slowly, I made my way down her neck, to her collar bone and to the swell of her breasts. Bella was gasping for air, fingers still entwined in my hair and they felt fucking amazing. Like they were made to be in my hair, on my body, anywhere on my body.

"Oh, fuck, Edward," she moaned. "Make love to me."

I froze for a split second before I looked up at her. "What?" I asked.

"I want you to make love to me," she murmured, bringing her hand around to the side of my head. "Please."

"Are you sure?" I asked, quietly. "We don't have to do anything, if you aren't ready."

"I'm ready," she said, smiling. "I know you brought the condoms and I think this is the perfect time. I mean, if you're not ready-"

"No, I'm ready," I said, quickly. Bella pulled her lip between her teeth as she laughed quietly. "I just don't want to rush you, if you aren't sure."

"I am," she smiled. "I really am."

"Ok," I murmured, leaning down and kissing her again.

I felt like an awkward teenage boy as I climbed off the bed and shuffled over to my suitcase. Of course, I was an awkward teenage boy but I usually didn't feel that way. I dug through my suitcase and pulled the box of condoms out of the bottom. The only reason I even brought them was in case. I never expected to actually have use for them. Turning, I looked back at Bella. She was sitting on the side of the bed. I moved over and pulled her to her feet.

Keeping my eyes locked on hers, I slowly pulled on her tank top. Bella raised her arms, allowing me to pull it completely off. Taking a deep breath as I dropped it onto the floor, I looked over her body. She wasn't wearing a bra and her tits looked amazing. I leaned down and brought one her nipples into my mouth, sucking on it like I've never had her in my mouth before. Bella moaned, gripping my hair once again.

I laid her back on the bed, alternating from one breast to the other. She was sexy and her skin tasted amazing. Slowly, I kissed my way down her body until I reached the top of her denim skirt. Looking up at her, I slowly pulled the button and lowered the zipper. Bella lifted her hips so that I could shimmy the skirt off of her, leaving her wearing nothing but her little white panties.

"Do you have any idea what these panties do to me?" I asked, slipping my fingers inside of them. Bella shook her head. "They drive me wild."

"Prove it," she murmured.

I growled as I ripped her panties off of her, leaving her completely naked in front of me. Bella reached up for my shirt but I beat her to it. Ripping my shirt open, I tore it off my body and threw it onto the floor. I made quick work of my jeans and boxers, leaving me just as naked as she was. Blushing, Bella reached between us and gripped my cock in her hand. I moaned as she started stroking me slowly. My cock grew harder in her hand.

"Now," she whispered. "I want you in me now."

I tore open the box of condoms and pulled one off. Bella snatched it from my hand and ripped it open. She brought it down and rolled it along my cock, causing me to shudder. Fuck, her hand felt amazing. I leaned forward so that the tip of my dick was lined up to her. I slid my tip up and down, making sure she was ready for me. I didn't want to hurt her but knew that I was going to. It was inevitable.

"I love you," I whispered.

Bella smiled. "I love you, too."

I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers as I slowly pushed into her. Bella gasped and winced as I stretched her. Once I was fully sheathed inside of her, I paused to give her a chance to adjust and give myself a chance to collect myself. I didn't want to cum in like twenty seconds of something. Bella was warm and tight around me, massaging every inch of my cock with her silky walls and I knew I wasn't going to last very long.

Bella gripped my shoulders in her hands, gently pulling on them. I moved my lips to the crevasse of her neck as I started moving in and out of her. There were no words to explain how amazing she felt wrapped around me, taking me further inside of her with every stroke. I could already feel my body preparing for my release. Slipping my hand between us, I fumbled as I found her clit, trying to get her to cum before me or at least with me.

"Let me," said Bella, pulling my hand out.

All I could do was nod my head as Bella slipped her hand between us, touching herself. I could feel her fingers grazing along my cock and I had to push back my urge to let go and cum right then. As I increased my thrusts into her, I grabbed her leg, pulling it up onto my hip. Bella moaned and arched her back.

"Oh, Edward," she cried out, clenching down around me, pulling me over the edge with her.

"Bella," I gasped, shuddering as I filled the condom.

I stilled my hips before pulling out of her. Stripping off the condom and tossing it into the trash next to the bed, I fell back and closed my eyes. I must have had a goofy smile on my face because Bella started laughing. I looked over at her and found her watching me.

"What?" I asked.

"You're so cute," she smiled. "It was nice."

"Just nice?" I asked. Bella rolled her eyes.

"It was nice," she said, blushing. "I mean, it hurt like shit at first but it was nice."

"Oh, ok, well, maybe it will be better next time," I muttered, feeling my checks turn pink.

"I'm sure it will be," smirked Bella, climbing off the bed. "I'm going to get cleaned up. Want to join me?"

"Fuck yes," I growled, flying off the bed.

Bella laughed as I chased her into the bathroom. We took a quick shower together, letting out hands and lips roam over each other. Once we were done, we dried off and pulled on our pajamas. Bella once again wore a pair of my boxers and my shirt. As we climbed into bed, she rolled over and laid her head on my chest. Maybe it wasn't mind blowing sex but it was pretty fucking good in my book.


	50. Chapter 50

50

When I woke up the next morning, I noticed two things. First, I had a huge, goofy grin on my face that could only be due to two things. The fact that Bella was curled up around my body and the fact that she and I had made love last night. I had been trying to imagine what it would feel like to be inside of her, but nothing in all of my fantasies prepared me for just how good she felt. It was more than just the physical feel of her body under me, or the feel of sliding my cock into her. Both of those were incredible but it was feeling us, sharing everything together. We would always be each others first and I knew in my heart that we would be each others only lovers, too.

The second thing I noticed was that my body was sore as fucking hell. I knew after my matches yesterday that I would be sore today but I didn't think I would be this sore. My body was on fire and I had no clue how I was going to get the strength to climb back into that ring today and fight but I would. I had a job to do here and I was going to do it…somehow.

Bella groaned as she rolled from her side onto her back. Her shirt had ridden up, exposing the sliver of muscled skin on her stomach. Stifling my own groan, I rolled onto my side and watched her sleep. Her hair was sprayed around her, bright blue mixed in with the dark brown, and she was smiling softly. There was bruising around her eyes and shadowing her cheek and jaw a little but she had never looked so beautiful. She wasn't the same Bella Cullen that I had met a few months ago. Sure, she could still kick anyone's ass, including mine, but she smiled now. She didn't always look afraid that those men were going to come back and kill her, either. She was happy and I was so in love with her.

"Edward," muttered Bella, stretching out. "My body hurts."

"Mine does, too, Baby," I laughed, wincing immediately. "Ouch, shouldn't have laughed."

Bella giggled quietly as she rolled onto her side, looking up at me. "Morning."

"Morning," I murmured, bringing my hand up to her cheek. "Are you ok? You know, down there?"

"I'm fine," she smiled, biting on the inside of her lip. "How are you?"

"I'm way better than fine," I chuckled, then wincing again. "Oh, I've got to stop laughing."

"Today's going to be a real son of bitch," she whispered. "I don't know if I can do it."

"You can," I insisted. "After we both kick some ass and take some names, we are going to find the closest hot tub and live there for awhile."

Bella laughed as she leaned up and kissed me. I wanted to kiss her forever but two things stopped me. First, the pain that came from my busted lip from my own fights the day before and the banging on our hotel room door. The first, I could live with, but the second was increasingly annoying. Seeing as Bella muttered several four letter words that rhymed with luck, witch, and knit, she must have been pretty fucking pissed off, too.

She climbed out from under the covers, stomping over to the door and yanking it open. Carlisle and Esme pushed their way into the room, ignoring the glare coming off of my girl. They stopped at the end of the bed, looking between us as Bella slammed the door shut.

"Gee, come on in," she hissed, moving back over to the bed.

"How are you feeling?" asked Carlisle, ignoring her once again.

"Never better," I lied, sitting up. He snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, kid," he chuckled. "I saw the beating you got yesterday."

"Why are you here?" asked Bella.

"I came to check on my favorite sister and her pain in the ass boyfriend who should not be sleeping in the same bed with her," said Carlisle, glaring at me.

"Then you couldn't have sexed my sister up," I smirked. Carlisle and Esme blushed and looked at the floor, confirming that they had had sex once again.

"Ew," grumbled Bella, climbing off the bed. "I am going to go shower and see if I can drown myself."

"Ok, Baby," I said, climbing off after her. "See you in a few."

"Ok,"

Bella headed over to the door while I made my way over to the bathroom. I had just placed my hand on the doorknob when I heard Carlisle inhale deeply and growl. Looking back, I saw him standing next to the bed with the condom wrapper from last night in his hand. The empty condom wrapper. He snapped his head up to me and I saw it; he was going to kill me.

"You little son of a bitch," he growled, lunging over the bed at me. Bella moved faster than I thought she should be able to and pulled me behind her.

"Carlisle, stop," snapped Bella, placing her hand between me and him. Esme was standing there with her mouth hanging wide open and her eyes glued to the condom wrapper.

"Move," muttered Carlisle, glaring at her. She must have seen something in his face that I didn't because Bella stepped out of the way, leaving me to face him all on my own. Carlisle stepped up to me, pushing me into the door behind me. He reached around me, turning the doorknob and letting the door to the bathroom open. "In."

I didn't say anything as I stepped into the bathroom. He came in behind me, shutting the door and turning the lock. His jaw was set and his hands were clenched into tight fists. He leaned back against the door, bringing his hands up. His fingers were tense as his fist unfolded and he ran his hands over his face. I knew better than to say anything to him until he spoke, I wasn't a fucking idiot after all. Carlisle was facing the sad truth that his little sister was growing up.

"Did you hurt her?" he muttered, jaw still clenched tight.

"No," I lied, knowing that he would know that it hurt. I wasn't about to admit that to him, though. Suicide was not really on my to-do list today.

"Fucking liar," he growled. "You weren't ready."

"That wasn't your decision," I stated, folding my arms in front of me. "It was a choice for me and her to make."

"She wasn't ready," he said, shortly. "She's barely getting her life back and you took advantage of her."

"I did no such thing," I said, calmly.

"Car, open the fucking door," yelled Bella. Carlisle turned and slammed his fist on the door.

"GO FUCKING SHOWER, ISABELLA!" he shouted.

"CARLISLE!" screamed Bella.

"NOW!" he roared.

Bella must have known to do what he said in this instant because a moment later I heard the door to the outer room close. There was no way that Esme would have left her alone in there. Now, it was just me and Carlisle, and the knowledge that I had had sex with his baby sister. Not the best way to start the day. Carlisle slowly turned back and faced me, rage still evident on his face.

"You told me you were going to wait," he muttered.

"No, I told you that Bella and I weren't going to take that step until we were both ready," I said, quietly. "We were ready, Carlisle."

"You're seventeen," he sighed. "You can't be ready for sex at seventeen."

"I'm eighteen," I muttered.

"Whatever," he snapped. "You are too young to be thinking about that."

"How old were you when you first had sex?" I countered. Carlisle pressed his lips into a thin line. "That's what I thought. How's it feel to be a hypocrite?"

"I'm not," he insisted. "Bella has been through too much to-"

"I know exactly what Bella has been through," I hissed, interrupting him. "In case you forgot, I was on the island, too. She's not the same Bella that she was four months ago."

"She's not the same Bella she was two and half years ago, either," he said.

"She will never be that Bella, Carlisle," I insisted.

"I know," he muttered.

"No, you don't," I said, shaking my head. "You want you little sister back. The one that followed you around like you could do no wrong but she's not that girl. Carlisle, I would never do anything that she wasn't ready for. I thought you trusted me not to hurt her. Just as I trust you not to hurt my sister."

"Fuck," he grumbled. "I do trust you, ok. I just…Edward."

"I know," I said. "I love her, Carlisle."

"You had better," he muttered, turning and walking out of the bathroom. I heard the outer door slam to a close a moment later.

"Well, that went good," I murmured, under my breath.

I quickly got ready for my matches and hurried out into the hall. I was pulling my bag up on my shoulder when Bella came storming out of her and Esme's room, red eyes and tears swimming around. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to go into that room and beat the shit out of her brother. But seeing as Bella slipped her arms around my wait, I didn't. She needed reassurance that whatever he told her, was a lie. As she and I started down the hallway toward the elevator, Emmett and Jasper stepped out of their rooms.

"Bell, what's wrong?" asked Jasper.

"Nothing," she muttered, holding onto me as tight as she could. "Just nerves."

Neither Emmett nor Jasper said anything else as we made our way down to the elevator and stepped on. As the doors closed, I saw Carlisle come out of Esme's room, not looking any happier than Bella was. She kept her head on my chest as we rode the lift down to the lobby. We walked into the arena and took a deep breath.

Instead of the five rings that filled the arena the day before, there were only two. There were only a handful of fighters down on the floor, but the stands were almost completely packed. My nerves were starting to boil over as Bella pulled on my hand and we made our way down and settled into a couple of seats. She put her feet up on the chairs behind her, laying her forehead down on her knees.

"Talk to me," I whispered, mirroring her position. She turned and looked at me.

"He told me that I acted rashly," she said, softly. "That we were rushing into a physical relationship and that I wasn't ready for it. I told him that I was, that it was between us, but he kept going on and on about how I was just getting my shit together." Bella paused and shook her head as she looked away. "Will there ever be a day when I am not reminded of how crazy I was?"

"You weren't crazy," I murmured, pulling on her hand so that she would look at me. "Baby, you were scared and hurting but you weren't crazy."

"I know that you aren't going to leave me, Edward," she whispered, vulnerability pouring out of each word that she said. I leaned in and pressed my forehead to hers.

"Never," I whispered back. "I love you, Bella, and I am not letting you go."

"I know," she murmured. "I really do know that now."

"Good," I smiled.

The rest of our family settled down around us but Bella and I were focused on each other. Even when Carlisle muttered something under his breath as he walked past us and down to get our schedules for the day. He was being a dick and I was going to have to take care of that shit. I leaned in and pressed my lips against Bella's before following Carlisle down to the floor. I reached out and grabbed his arm, spinning him around. He glared at me and started to speak but I stopped him.

"Let me make something very fucking clear here, Carlisle," I said, forcefully. "You don't have to like that Bella and I had sex. That was a choice that we made between the two of us, as we have both told you, but if you ever make her cry like that again, I will beat your goddamn ass. Bella is my world, my entire life, and I would never do anything to hurt her. Have some goddamn confidence in her that she wouldn't do something so stupid to hurt herself and have some faith in us. I am trusting you with my sister, the least you could do is trust me with yours."

Carlisle pulled his arm out of my hand and folded them in front of me. I matched his stance, not willing to back down and let him intimidate me. This was one battle that I wasn't giving up. "I should kick your ass for talking to me like that," he said.

"You could try," I said, pointedly. The corners of Carlisle's mouth twitched.

"You got balls, kid," he muttered, shaking his head. "I just don't think you are ready for that kind of relationship."

"We weren't asking if you thought we were ready," I said. "Bella and I talked about it and made the decision that we were. I think we've both earned the right to have that say in our relationship."

"Yes, I suppose you have," he sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry. You have to understand, Edward, that Bella is more than just my little sister. She's my best friend."

"I know," I said. "Esme's mine. You need to apologize to her, not to me."

Leaving him there, I made my way back up to Bella, ignoring the glare that came off of my sister. She would have to deal with this just as Carlisle was. Mine and Bella's relationship was nobodies business but ours. I settled into the seat next to Bella, slipping my hand into hers. She leaned over and laid her head on my shoulder, sighing so softly I felt it rather than heard it. I didn't regret the decision we made to make love last and I would be damned if I let anyone make her feel back for it, either.

A couple of minutes later, Carlisle came trudging back up the cement steps to where we were all sitting. He stopped next to us, knelling down. "Bell, I'm sorry," he muttered.

"I'm sure you are," she said, softly. "We weren't acting rashly."

"I know," he grumbled, looking down. "I-"

Before he could finish what he was saying, Bella stood up, pulling her hand out of mine. I looked up at her and saw her staring across the arena. I followed her gaze and saw her looking at her parents, who had just settled into a couple seats on the other side. She looked down at me, cocking an eyebrow and silently asking me if she should go over there. I stood up, ignoring the looks from everyone who were clearly confused about what Bella was doing. I leaned in and pressed my lips to her cheek.

"Do what you need to do," I whispered.

Bella nodded her head, bringing her hand up to my cheek, before she let it drop and scooted around me and Carlisle, down the steps and toward them. "BELL!" yelled Carlisle, chasing after her.

Whether he knew where she was going or not, I wasn't sure but I knew she needed to do this. I took off running down the cement steps after the two of them, with everyone following me. Bella had just started up the steps on the other side when Carlisle and I caught up with her. He reached out and grabbed her arms, stopping her.

"Don't," he murmured and I knew that he knew they were here. Bella looked over her shoulder at him, Emmett, and Jasper, who had stopped behind me. "You don't need them."

"I do," she whispered, pulling her arm out of his hand. "Car, I do."

"Bella," he whimpered. "They hurt you."

"I know," she frowned. "But they are still our parents."

"What?" gasped Emmett, finally catching on. I turned and saw him looking around for them. His head fell still as he saw them. "Bella, get your ass back down here," he demanded.

"No," she said, quietly moving up a step. "I need to do this before I fight today."

"Bella," sighed Jasper. "You don't know that they aren't going to hurt you again."

"No, I don't," she admitted. "But I am tired of running."

"You can't trust them," argued Emmett. Bella turned and looked back up where Nolan and Corrine were sitting.

"I know I can't," she murmured. "But she's my mom," cried Bella. "He's my dad."

"Bella-"

"Let her go, boys," said Elizabeth, pushing her way through all of them. She placed her hand on Bella's check, wiping the tears away. "It's her choice, not yours."

"You know this doesn't mean that I don't love you," whispered Bella. Elizabeth smiled.

"I know you do, Sweetheart," she murmured. "I love you, too. I am still your mom."

Bella nodded her head and looked back at me, holding her hand out. "Come with me?"

I simply nodded my head and placed my hand in hers as we headed up the stairs towards her parents. Let's hope this wasn't the biggest mistake we had ever made.


	51. Chapter 51

51

BPOV

Leaving my brothers standing at the base of the cement steps had been much harder than I thought it was going to be. I knew they didn't understand why I needed to talk to our parents. Fuck, I didn't even really understand. All I really knew was that my parents had come back for the second day to watch me fight, to support me in the only way I would let them. While I knew that I was far from being able to forgive them for everything they had put me through, I had to be the first one to make a move.

Edward tightened his grip on my hand as we took each step. My legs felt like they got heavier as I slowly climbed my way to the top. Finally, we made it up to the row where my parents were sitting, watching me with bated breaths as we came up to them. They both stood up but didn't say anything. My father looked like he had aged at least five years in the few months since I had seen them last. Nolan's normally well kept blond hair looked shaggy, much like Jasper's. His eyes were surrounded by deep, purple circles and he looked exhausted. Corrine looked even worse. She had lost weight, at least a good ten pounds. She also had purple circles under her eyes and her dark hair had been lazily pulled up into a messy ponytail.

"You both look like shit," I finally said. My mother shifted her eyes to the ground while my father nodded his head.

"You look beautiful," whispered Corrine. She looked back up at me. "I like the blue hair."

I nodded my head. "It was always your favorite color," I murmured. "That's why I picked it."

"Oh," she said, quietly, bringing her arms up, wrapping them around herself.

"Why are you here?" I asked, desperately. I could feel the tears building in my eyes but I didn't care.

"We came to watch you fight," said Nolan, placing his hands on my mother's shoulders. "We didn't mean to bother you, Isab…Bella."

"Have you been here all three days?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. I nodded my head.

"Why…" I trialed off as a tear fell from my eyes. "Just why?"

"Because we love to watch you fight," cried Corrine. "You have always been such a beautiful fighter. Naturally graceful."

"You destroyed my life," I whispered. "You know that, right?"

"We do," muttered Nolan. "We didn't mean to, but we know that we did."

"I can't trust you," I whispered. "I may never be able to."

"We know," said Corrine.

"I want to be able to, though," I muttered. "But you don't understand what I went through every day for two years."

"We wish we could take it all back," said Nolan.

"You can't," I whispered. Edward let go of my hand and slipped his arm around my waist. I looked up at him, smiling in gratitude. "Edward saved me from…all of it. From giving up completely and letting myself drown in the fear that crippled me."

"Then we are very grateful to you, Edward," said my father. I shifted my eyes back over to him and my mother. They both seemed sincere enough.

"I love her," said Edward. "Very much. I won't let anyone hurt her ever again. Not even you."

"Good," nodded Nolan. He looked back down at me. "You have a big day today."

"Yeah," I murmured. "Not sure where I am going to find the strength to fight. My body is fucking killing me."

"You'll find it," he said. "Dig deep and you'll find it."

"I should probably go," I said, looking back down at the main floor. My brothers were still standing next to the bottom of the stairs, watching us. I turned my eyes back up to my parents. "Maybe I could call you sometime or…"

"We'd like that," smiled Corrine. "A lot."

"Yeah, ok, I should go," I muttered. I turned and walked down a couple of steps before stopping and looking back at them. "Be careful, ok?"

"We will," said Nolan. "Keep your elbows in and-"

"My feet moving," I finished for him, smiling. "I remember."

"Bella," he whispered.

"I know," I murmured. "I have to go."

Turning back, I rushed down the stairs with Edward following me closely. I ignored the questionable looks coming off of my brothers as I made my way over to my ring. I turned back to Edward, throwing my arms around his neck and taking a deep, shaky breath. My emotions were all over the place and I wasn't sure how to get control of them. Edward held me as tight as he could, pressing his lips down onto my ear.

"It's ok, love," he whispered. "Use it in your matches."

"Edward," I whimpered, clutching onto any part of him that I could.

"I know," he whispered. "Use it."

I leaned back just enough to press my lips against his once, twice, then a third time. Wiping all the tears off my face, I turned to my brothers and held out my hands. Neither Jasper nor Emmett said anything as they started taping my hands. Carlisle was sitting on the bench next to the ring, elbows rested on his knees and his face buried in his hands. He had hurt me this morning when he questioned my decision to sleep with Edward. I had earned the right to make that choice for myself, and it hurt that he didn't trust me. Not after everything that I had been through.

I turned away from Carlisle as Jasper shoved my gloves onto my hands, still not uttering a word to me. Emmett placed my head gear on and shoved in my mouth piece. Maybe they thought that I had somehow betrayed them by going up and talking with my parents but they didn't understand. Sure, they had been hurt by them but I've been the one who replayed every moment of that hell over and over, not them. I looked back at Edward before I climbed into the ring and prepared to fight my first of three matches today. If I won all three, I would make it into the final match and fight for the championship tonight. Our fields had narrowed down enough now, that we were no longer numbers but people with actual names. As I looked across the ring, I found myself getting ready to fight a girl by the name of Simone Jacobs.

Simone was taller than me but not by much. She had a head full of dark, auburn hair and pale, freckled skin. Her dark eyes were bright as she took in every inch of me, smirking as she looked over at her trainer. Clearly, the bitch thought she had some kind of advantage over me. She did not. The referee called us to meet in the middle of the ring. I kept my eyes locked on her as I moved over, bumped her gloves with mine and agreed to fight nicely.

Moving back over to my corner, I turned and looked back at Edward. He smiled and nodded his head, silently telling me to kick this bitch's ass. The referee started our match and I snapped my head over to Simone. She shot out of her corner, set on attacking me early and taking me out quickly. Neither of those were going to happen.

Simone threw her left roundhouse at me, which I blocked, and tried to counter with a right jab, which I also blocked. I shoved her into the ropes and brought my gloves up. A tremor of fear shook through her as she realized that I was in this for the kill. She blocked the right hook I threw but was unable to stop my left jab. She groaned around the mouth piece in her mouth but I didn't let up.

Over and over I pummeled my opponent, taking out weeks, months, years worth of anger out on her. She dropped to the mats, covering her head with her hands and crying out for me to stop. I dropped to my knees next to her, throwing my right hook, a left jab, followed by a gut shot. The referee pulled me off of her and threw me into my corner. I turned and looked down at my brother, feeling all the hurt from earlier building up. Once the referee declared me the winner, I climbed out of the rings, spitting my mouth piece out and taking the two strides so that I was face to face with him. Fear oozed off of Carlisle.

"You listen here, you fucking bastard," I snapped, lunging for him. However, Ed pulled me back and Carlisle staggered back two feet. "You don't get to tell me that I am not ready. You don't get to tell me that it's not my choice to make, you stupid motherfucker."

"Bella, sweetheart, calm down," ordered Ed, shoving me back into Edward's arms. However, he dropped his arms, prepared to let me fight this out on my own.

"Car, you hurt me," I said, shortly. "You made me second guess how I felt, how he felt, and that wasn't fair."

Carlisle dropped his head, looking down at the floor. "I know," he muttered. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Edward is not going to hurt me, Carlisle," I sighed. "One day, when we are both ready, we are going to get married and have babies. We-"

"Babies?" snapped Emmett. I looked over at him and saw him glaring at Edward.

"Em-"

"Fuck, no," he exclaimed. "There will be no having babies."

"You can't tell me that we can't have a baby," I snorted.

"You have to have sex to have a baby, Bella," he spat, cringing at the thought of me and Edward together like that. "Since you are never having sex, you can't have a baby."

"Emmett Cullen," snapped Rose. He snapped his head around and looked at her. She, Alice, Esme, and Elisabeth were standing behind my brothers, glaring the fuck out of the back of their heads. "You are such an ass. Bella is an adult, who can make her own choices. If and when she and Edward are ready to take that step, it will be a decision that they are going to make together. It's none of your concern. Besides, that would make you a hypocrite, wouldn't it?"

"How?" challenged Emmett, folding his arms in front of his chest. Rose narrowed her eyes at my brother and I swear, he flinched back.

"Because you and I were younger and a whole hell of lot dumber than they are when we started having sex," she hissed.

"Ew," I muttered, cringing.

"Perhaps, this is not the time nor the place to be having this discussion," suggested Elizabeth, moving over in the middle of our little circle. "It's not like they are having sex, anyway."

Carlisle and Esme both looked up and right at me and Edward. Of course, everyone noticed this and turned and looked back at us. One by one, I could see understanding spring up on everyone's faces. Emmett and Jasper shared Carlisle's outrage that we had dared make this decision for us while Rose and Alice, seemed more concerned with keeping my brothers from ripping his head off.

"Oh," said Elizabeth. She looked at Ed, who looked shocked, before turning back to me and Edward. "I'm not sure what to say."

I wasn't sure what to say either. While I didn't regret the decision to sleep with Edward, not by a long shot, I wasn't prepared for it to become everyone's business. Especially when we were all standing in the middle of the arena, waiting for our next match to start. Edward slipped his arm from around my waist and brought it up to his hair, running his fingers through his soft locks.

"Look, this isn't the place to discuss this but I want to make one thing clear to all of you," he said. "Bella and I did not rush into this. We, both she and I, made this decision together. We were safe and that is all that should matter."

"By safe, you mean that you used protection, right?" asked Jasper, jaw clenched tight.

"Of course, we did, you idiot," I snapped. "You aren't fucking retarded."

"You don't seem to be making very rational decisions, Bella," he hissed. "You aren't ready."

"Leave her alone," said Carlisle, forcefully. Everyone snapped their heads over to him. "She and Edward are right. This is none of our concern or business. They have earned our trust and respect." He paused as he stepped over to me, pulling me into his arms. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Bell."

"Next time, I'm kicking your ass," I muttered, feeling everyone watching us.

"I'd deserve it," he sighed. He pulled back and stuck his hand out to Edward. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'll trust you to take care of her."

"Good."

Edward shook my brother's hand quickly before dropping it and looking down at me. To anyone who didn't know him, they would think he was calm and collected but I knew better. He was scared shitless and barely hanging on. He didn't expect all of this to come out like this either, I'm sure. I sighed, placing my glove-covered hand on his shoulder and silently telling him I understood. Today was already proving to be a weird one.

"Ok, we'll deal with this later," said Elizabeth, clearly shaken. "Right now, they both have a tournament to win."

"Right," muttered Ed, clearing his throat as he looked over at his son. "Let's get you ready, Edward."

Edward nodded his head before following Carlisle and Ed around to the other side of the his ring and let them get his hands taped and gloved. Emmett and Jasper both stood there motionless, glaring at him and me. It was ridiculous that they were both acting the way they were considering that they both had been having sex with their girlfriends for years. I ignored them as I pulled my gloves off and took a seat, waiting for Edward's match to start. Esme moved over and sat down next to me, crossing her legs and folding her arms in front of her chest.

For several minutes, neither me nor Esme said anything. She was watching Carlisle get Edward ready for his match while I watched Rose and Alice lecturing Emmett and Jasper about double standards and equality between me and them. Blah, Blah, Blah. I wasn't naive enough to believe that things would ever be equal between me and my brothers, at least not in their eyes. I would always be their baby sister, the one they did everything they could to save.

"I'm sorry," muttered Esme. I looked over at her. She was still watching Edward and Carlisle, who was knelt down in front of Edward and giving him a peep talk. "I forget that he isn't that scrawny little kid anymore." Esme smiled as she looked over at me. "We don't want you and Edward to feel like we don't trust you," she said.

"But you don't," I added.

"We do," she said, quickly. I raised an eyebrow, disbelievingly. "We really do, Bella. It's just…It's hard to see you and Edward growing up, not needing us anymore. I can't speak for Carlisle but Edward's been the center of my world since he was born." Esme smiled as she looked over at him. "I was a lonely girl, being dragged around from one post to the next. When he was born, I had friend. No matter where we moved, he was my friend. My only friend."

"Do you think that is going to change?" I asked.

Esme looked over at me. "It already has," she said. "It's not a bad change, Bella, but it has changed. Edward doesn't need me to comfort him when he upset about something, or need me to talk with anymore. He has you and I have Carlisle. I have even made friends with Rose and Alice, lord help me."

"They aren't so bad," I murmured.

"No, they aren't," she admitted. "But having friends, family other than my bother and my parents is new to me, too."

"It's scary, isn't it?" I asked. "To let your walls down and accept them into your life."

"Terrifying," she whispered. "But worth it."

"Esme," I said, quietly. "I…My brother may annoy the shit of me but I love him."

"I do, too," she smiled, placing her hand on top of mine. "You love Edward."

"I love him so much that it scares me," I whispered. "When he looks at me, the intensity alone shakes me up."

"I know the feeling," she murmured, looking over at Carlisle.

Edward stood up and climbed into the ring and all conversations between me and Esme, ceased. He stood tall in his corner, appraising his opponent. Gavin Parks was closer to Emmett's size than Edward's. He had dark, black hair that hung loosely out of his headgear and dark penetrating eyes. He was trying to stare Edward down but he wasn't having it.

As the referee started the match, I found myself mesmerized by him. His fighting style was nearly flawless. He kept his feet moving and his elbows tucked into his side, protecting himself. Edward never took his eyes off his prey, letting him fall into the trap that Edward was cleverly laying out for him. He was beautiful.

Edward and Gavin were in the middle of their second round, when Edward attacked, taking advantage of the lazy footwork from his competitor. Gavin fell back against the ropes as Edward hit him with a left jab/right roundhouse combination. He showed no mercy as he followed with right hook, left hook, left jab, and right gut check. His fists were moving so quickly that I could barely see them, barely anticipate the next move.

The referee pushed Edward off of his prey and knelt down to check on the poor boy. Edward looked back at me, chest heaving wildly and eyes burning right through me. There was no doubt in my mind that Edward and I had made the right decision the night before. I also knew that, one day, I would marry him.


	52. Chapter 52

52

EPOV

One day, I was going to marry Isabella Cullen. It wouldn't be soon but one day I would buy her a ring, plan the perfect night, and ask her to be mine forever. That much I knew for sure. We both still had a lot of growing up to do and neither of us were ready to juggle marriage and college but one day, maybe a year from now or five years, we would be ready and I would ask her.

"Nice job, Edward," said Carlisle, clapping my on the shoulder and pulling my attention away from the love of my life. I sounded like such a fucking sap but it was true. I couldn't live without her and I had no plans of doing so any time soon.

"Thanks," I muttered, climbing out of the ring. Carlisle pulled my gloves off and I took the bottle of water my father was offering me. Looking back over at Bella, I started chugging it down.

"Whoa, slow down," laughed Carlisle, pulling the bottle from my hand. I looked back over at him. "You are going to make yourself sick."

"Are you feeling ok?" asked Ed, placing his hand on my shoulder and checking the swelling around my. "He got you pretty good."

I smiled as I nodded. "I feel great," I said. "Besides what's one more bruise."

"I suppose," he chuckled.

"Ok, you have about an hour until your next match," said Carlisle.

Since I had some time to relax and Bella's next match was due to start in a few minutes, I followed my father and Carlisle around to the other side of my ring and settled on one of the benches to watch my girl fight. She was standing in front of Emmett and Jasper, getting her hands taped and listening intensely to what they were telling her. She kept nodding her head at them and, based on the aggravated look on her face, I knew she was getting annoyed.

The referee called Bella into the ring. She climbed in and looked back at me, smiling around her mouth piece. I could feel my ears turning pink as I smiled back, especially with everyone watching us. Bella turned and looked at her opponent, a mousy girl named Kaelin Hicks. She was about the same height as Bella, maybe a little taller. She was a thin girl with dark, curly brown hair and dark eyes but not quite as dark as my Bella's, nor nearly as beautiful.

Bella had taken a huge chance this morning by going up and talking to her parents. Her brothers may not have needed to talk to them, or maybe they just weren't ready, but Bella was. She had missed them so much over the last few months. Even though she would never trust them the way she did before they left her, she needed them. I wasn't sure I would ever be able to make the decision she did if my parents had done that to me but that just shows how much Bella has grown over the last handful of months since I met her. She was healing, and even though she wasn't completely healed, at least it was a step in that direction.

Carlisle wandered over and stood next to Emmett and Jasper as Bella's match started. Kaelin came at her, throwing her fists wide but Bella was faster, smarter and was able to block them all. She had her eyes locked on her competitor, focusing all of her attention on the task in front of her. Bella moved faster than any fighter I had ever watched. It wasn't just how fast she moved her feet but the quickness in her hits. By the time a person felt the first punch, Bella had already thrown nearly half a dozen more. Her style was flawless and sensual, graceful and perfect.

"She's quite amazing, isn't she?" asked my father, sitting down next to me.

"Yes," I said, simply as I watched Bella. My father chuckled quietly. "Are you upset with us?"

"Not upset," he said, slowly. "Just surprised."

"We were ready," I murmured.

"I would hope so," he grumbled. I tore my eyes off Bella and looked over at my father. He was staring at the ground, ears bright red. Ed sighed as he looked up at me and said, "You were telling the truth when you said that you and Bella were…safe, right?"

"Of course we were," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "It was a big decision that we both made together. We were ready and it wasn't something we went into lightly."

"I know," he said, smiling as he put his hands up. "But I have to ask. I'm your dad and it's kind of my job."

"Suppose so." I turned back and watched Bella again. "I would never do anything that we weren't ready for, Dad. I love her so much."

"That's clear on the way you can't seem to take your eyes off of her," laughed Ed. Bella threw her left hook at Kaelin, pushing her into the ring behind her. Kaelin ducked around her, moving away. "So….UCLA."

"Yeah," I chuckled, looking back over at my father. "Pretty wild, huh?"

"No," he smiled. "Are you going to go?"

"I don't know," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "There's a lot to think about."

"That's true," he murmured, nodding his head. "But it's a great opportunity, Edward."

"It is but…" I shook my head as I shifted my eyes over to Bella. "California is a long way from home."

"True," agreed Ed, "but it's not like we aren't going to be around."

"Hundreds of miles away," I muttered. "Not exactly like you are going to be in the next room."

"A phone call," said Ed. I looked up at him. "Or a plane ride."

"That easy, huh?" I asked.

"No mater what I or anyone else has going on, you and Bella will always be the most important to us." Ed placed his hand on my shoulder as he spoke, sincerity oozing off of him. "All it would take is one call saying that either of you needed me, your mom, one of her brothers, or your sister and anyone of us will be there as soon as we can."

"But you just came back," I muttered.

"What do you mean?" asked Ed. I sighed as I leaned back on the bench.

"You were in Italy," I said, quietly, looking down at me feet. "I had to say goodbye once, Dad. I don't want to do it again."

"So don't," he said. I shifted my eyes up to him. "Don't say goodbye. Say you'll see us at Thanksgiving or Christmas but it will never be goodbye, Edward. It wasn't when your mom and I went to Italy and it won't be now."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Have I ever lied to you?" he asked, seriously.

"No, sir," I muttered.

"Well, I'm not going to start lying to you now," he chuckled, squeezing my shoulder. "Now, you can go back and watch your girl beat the shit out someone."

I laughed as I turned my attention back to Bella. She was just starting her third round against Kaelin. Even though Bella was slowing down a little, she was still alert. Kaelin was dragging her feet, letting her elbows flop down around her waist. She threw a weak right roundhouse at Bella, who ducked and moved around behind her. Bella's eyes narrowed and she brought her arms tighter into her body and I knew she was ending this now.

Bella hit Kaelin in the side, causing the girl to groan and stumble forward several feet. She turned and faced Bella, but wasn't expecting her to be right there, ready to strike. Bella pushed Kaelin back on the ropes, striking her over and over. Kaelin tried to push Bella off of her but she wasn't letting her. Bella threw her right hook, following closely by a left jab. Kaelin fell to the mats, crying out around her mouthpieces.

The referee moved between Bella and Kaelin, kneeling down next to the later. Bella shuffled back into her corner, looking back at me. There was sense of intensity slowing off of her that both thrilled me and scared me. Emmett stepped in front of her, blocking my view of her and I took a deep breath, ignoring my father's quiet laughter next to me.

"Winner," announced the referee, gesturing to Bella.

Bella thanked him before climbing out of the ring. I stood up as Jasper pulled her gloves off, all while she was staring at me. Without a word to either him or Emmett, Bella rushed over, jumping in my arms and wrapping her arms and legs around me. I buried my face in her neck, taking a deep breath. Even though she was sweaty, she still smelled sweet, like fresh bread and a summer breeze. God, now I sounded even more like pussy than ever before.

"Baby, you were fucking amazing," I murmured, kissing the side of her neck.

"She was a tough bitch," laughed Bella, leaning back. She set her feet down and brought her hand up to my check, letting her fingers graze over the bruise forming on top of the bruise I already had. "Does it hurt?"

"A little," I said, quickly, leaning into her hand. She was sporting her own black eye and bruised jaw. "Does yours?"

"A little," she smirked. "When does your next match start?"

"Soon," I sighed. "Yours?"

"Half an hour or so," she smiled. "My body feels like it is on fire."

"Mine, too," I snorted, leaning my forehead down onto hers. "Are you ok? You know, after earlier with your brothers?"

"Eddie-boy, let's go," hollered Carlisle. I rolled my eyes at the jackass.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "Go kick some ass, Baby."

"Can I start with his?" I smirked, gesturing to her oldest brother.

"Sure," she laughed.

I kissed Bella before heading over to my ring, ignoring the smirk on Carlisle's face and the looks of pure disgust on Emmett and Jasper's faces. It was going to take them awhile to get over the fact that their little sister was not only old enough but mature enough to make her own decisions, especially those revolving around sex. Carlisle and Ed got my hands re-taped and my gloves back on. I climbed into the ring and got ready to face my next competitor, Jordan Evans.

Jordan, an African American boy with dark, piercing eyes, turned out to be a pretty easy match. His feet were lazy, heavy and flat against the mats. Jordan came out of his corner, throwing his fists around like a crazy man. I stayed out of his way and let him tire himself out, biding my time while he did all the work. After a round and a half, the referee declared me the winner and Jordan stumbled out of the ring, moaning and groaning.

Bella's next match started about five minutes after mine ended. Her next competitor, a chubby girl with dirty blond hair and bright blue/grey eyes named Shylee Morrow, wasn't much harder for her than Jordan was for me. In fact, Bella had her against the ropes in the matter of about two minutes. Shylee was down on her knees a minute later, begging for Bella to spare her. It was amazing that the girl made it this far in the tournament.

After Bella finished her off, clenching her spot in the finals, we both had about an hour to rest before my next matches. We headed out to the lobby of the hotel and laid down on one of the couches, losing ourselves in the soulful music of Amos Lee, a new find of Bella's off iTunes. Bella was curled up around me, arm draped across my chest and I had my arm wrapped around her as tightly as I could, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment.

But like all peaceful moments, ours was busted all too soon. My next match was about to start so I untangled myself from her arms and followed Carlisle, Ed, Emmett, and Jasper back into the arena. Bella settled down on the bench behind us while they got me all ready for my next match against Brandon Anders, a tall lanky boy with red hair and freckles sprinkled over his nose and cheeks. I tried to keep my attention off of her and onto my next match but it was hard.

Brandon Anders turned out to be a fierce opponent. Even though his footwork was lazy, he carried quite a powerful punch and he fought smart. However, as smart as he was, I was smarter. For the first two rounds, Brandon fought conservatively, making sure that each and every jab, haymaker, roundhouse, and left hook count but so did I. With every smart move he made, I made an even smarter one.

By the start of the third round, Brandon Anders was starting to slow down and I was just getting started. As he dropped his left shoulder, I tightened my arms to my side and went on the offensive. Brandon came at me with a left hook, which I blocked and countered with a left haymaker. He wasn't expecting it and I clocked him square in the jaw. Brandon groaned but didn't back off, throwing his body into mine and tried to knock me off my feet. It would have been a good strategy if I hadn't expected it and tightened up my body, pushing him back into the ropes behind him.

The arena was noisy, people yelling and screaming but all my attention was focused on the guy trapped against the ropes in front of me. Tossing a left hook, followed by a right roundhouse, I pushed Brandon even further into the ropes. My body ached as I threw a right jab, left haymaker, right hook. The referee grabbed my arms, pulling me off of Brandon and over into my corner.

Carlisle pulled my gloves off and I spit my mouthpieces out, taking a deep breath. Grabbing the bottle of water from my father, I turned back and looked at Bella as I took a drink. She was sitting on the bench, elbows on her knees and her face buried in her hands. Like she could feel me watching her, Bella looked up at me, smiling widely.

'I love you,' she mouthed.

Smiling, I mouthed, 'I love you, too.'

"Winner," announced the referee, placing his hand on my shoulder and drawing my attention away from my girl. "Good luck in the finals, young man."

"Thank you," I said, nodding my head.

I climbed out of the ring, stifling my groan as my muscles screamed in protest. It had already taken everything in me to make it through the three matches I had fought in today. I wasn't sure where I was going to find the strength to fight in one more. My championship match was going to be the hardest match of my very short career.

Bella stood up as I made my way over. She smiled and brought her hand up to my eyes, pressing down on the bruising around my eye. "Your eye looks like shit," she said.

"Feels like shit," I chuckled. "I made it into the finals."

"I'm so proud of you," she murmured, leaning her forehead against my chest. "But it's going to be really hard."

"I know," I said, quietly.

"This should be a piece of cake," snickered a butch girl as she and her friend walked past me and Bella. The friend laughed loudly as the bitch stopped, giving Bella the once over. "Oh, yeah, piece of fucking cake."

"I'm going to enjoy kicking your fat ass," said Bella.

"Good luck, bitch," snapped the girl. "You're going to need it, Cullen."

Before Bella or I could say anything, the girl and her friend walked away. "Yeah, I'm going to enjoy taking that fucking bitch out," muttered Bella, darkly.

"I can't wait to see that," I laughed.

Bella and I rested in the bleachers while the crew broke down the second ring, leaving only one sitting in the middle of the arena. While the number of fighters had dwindled down to two boys and two girls, the crowd inside had tripled. Fighters who had been eliminated and their families and their trainers, all gathered to watch us fight in the final round. Nothing quite like a little pressure.

Our family was sitting around us, talking quietly amongst themselves. Bella had her knees pulled up, tapping her foot against the edge of her seat. To anyone else, it would seem that that she was nervous but I knew better. I knew she was gearing up for the toughest match of the tournament and most likely of her entire career. I reached over and placed my hand on her knee, trying to calm her down. Bella leaned over and laid her head on my shoulder, sighing contently.

"How are you two feeling?" asked Carlisle, leaning against the railing in front of us, arms crossed and concern written all over his face.

"Sore," I said. "But we're ok."

He nodded his head. "You are going to have to push through all that and really dig deep. Neither one of your matches are going to be easy."

"We know," muttered Bella. "This isn't our first tournament, Car."

"No, but it's your hardest," sighed Carlisle. "And I don't want you two going in all cocky. They are going to be gunning for you both."

"We're ready," I said, seriously.

"I hope so," he muttered, standing up. "Bell, let's go. You're up first."


	53. Chapter 53

53

Bella and I stood up, turning so that we were facing each other. Tension surrounded us as I leaned in and kissed her, silently telling her how much I loved her, how much I believed in her. Bella brought her hand up to my face, stroking my cheek for a second before she dropped it and followed her oldest brother down the cement steps to the main floor. I sat back down in my seat, placing my elbows on my knees and prepared to watch my Bella fight in the hardest match of her career.

From the other side of the arena, I saw her parents leaning forward in much the same way, knowing as much as I did that this was going to be hard for Bella. Part of me wondered if she needed them to be down there next to her but I wasn't sure if she was truly ready for that yet. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked over to see Esme sitting next to me, smiling.

"Who knew when I uprooted you from D.C. that months later, we would be here in Vegas, getting ready to watch your girlfriend fight," she commented.

"Or that your boyfriend would be my trainer," I chuckled.

"No shit," She snorted, looping her arm in with mine. "Edward, thank you for coming with me," she said, quietly. "I don't think I would have made this move on my own."

"You would have," I murmured, smiling. "You're the best sister, Esme, but you are an even better friend."

"Ugh, you're so sappy when you are in love," she giggled. I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything. "I was wrong about her."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"When we first moved here and you befriended Bella, I though that she was going to hurt you. I thought she was dangerous and out of control. I was wrong," said Esme. "She's really an amazing girl, Edward."

"I know she is," I smiled. "I thought Carlisle was a jackass. Still do most of the time."

"He was," admitted Esme, "but when you are worried about your family, you make a lot of mistakes, Edward. He was only worried about her."

"I know," I murmured.

"He likes you," she said, leaning toward me. "A lot, even if he won't admit it. He admires you for how you've stuck with her through everything."

"Sticking with her was the easiest decision I ever had to make," I commented.

"Sometimes, I forget that you are only eighteen," she sighed, shaking her head. "You act much older."

"Oh," I muttered.

"That's not a bad thing, Edward," she smiled. "It just means that you are more mature than most kids your age."

"I had to be," I said. "Only way to prevent myself from getting my heart broken every time we had to move."

"I suppose that's true," murmured Esme. "But you won't have to worry about that now."

"Yeah?" I asked. "Why not?"

"This time when you move, you will have Bella with you," smiled Esme. "I'm sure that you two can handle anything that comes at you."

"But you won't be there this time," I mumbled, feeling my ears turning red.

"I will be if you need me, little brother," she whispered.

Esme and I turned our attention back down to the ring where Bella was standing, getting ready to face her final competitor of the tournament. Seeing them inside the ring, made the differences in their stature much more noticeable. The other girl had a good twenty pounds on Bella and stood a good foot over her. The arena became eerily quiet as the referee climbed into the ring.

"Welcome to the final match in the Women's Division of the Las Vegas Invitational Boxing Tournament." The arena was filled with loud cheers and screams. "After weeding the field down, we have our final two competitors. First, we have Jane Marks, from Salt Lake City, Utah. She will be facing, Isabella Cullen, from Forks, Washington."

At the mention of Bella's name, the arena fell eerily quiet again. Bella turned and looked up at me, smiling around her mouth piece. I mouthed that I loved her before she turned back and faced her opponent again. They were called to the middle of the ring, where the referee went over the rules and told them to have a clean match. They bumped gloves before heading over to their corners.

If felt like everyone was holding their breath as the judges rang the bell, starting off the match. Neither Jane nor Bella made the first step toward each other. It was clear that they were both trying to get a feel for the other person. Jane finally took a step toward Bella, tucking her elbows in and trying to hit her with a left jab. Bella, however, was expecting it and blocked, countering with a left hook. Jane wasn't expecting that and took the hit directly on her jaw. It didn't even phase her at all.

Bella skirted around Jane, being careful not to let herself get trapped in a corner or against the ropes. If she did that, she may not be able to get Jane off of her. Jane seemed to be working hard to get Bella against the ropes, though, and was showing her aggravation quite openly. The tension between them was getting insane as they moved through the first round and into the second.

After a minute to get a drink and calm down a bit, Jane and Bella came out at each other again. This time, Jane came out on the offensive. She hit Bella with a left jab, right hook combo. Bella wasn't able to block these but she did manage to counter with her own right roundhouse, haymaker combo that sent Jane stumbling back a few steps. Jane recovered quickly and came back at Bella, throwing her gloves hands around wildly. It was obvious that she wasn't used to anyone giving her any kind of trouble in the ring. Bella was doing her best to keep the girl off of her but Jane was using her body weight. When the second round ended, Jane had managed to get a few more hits than Bella did. This was going to be a close match.

By the time the third and final round started, both Jane and Bella were showing signs of fatigue and I was getting antsy. I made my way down the cement steps and started pacing back and forth, watching Bella and Jane duke it out. While Jane was still throwing a powerful punch, she was getting weaker. I could tell by the look on Bella's face that she knew it, too. As Jane threw a roundhouse at her, Bella ducked and moved behind her, hitting her with jab to Jane's ribs. The larger girl cried out around her mouthpiece and fell to the ground. Bella wasted no time as she pounced on her, throwing her fists into her, digging deep and taking the girl out. Jane was trying to push Bella off of her but she wasn't having it. She had get as many points as she could if she wanted to win this match.

The judges rang the bell and the referee pushed Bella off Jane. She stumbled into her corner and looked back at me, her eyes finding me immediately. Her chest was heaving as she panted and gasped for air. I could see her arms shaking as the adrenalin soared through her body. Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were immediately at her side, pulling off her gloves and headgear but her eyes were locked onto mine. She was beautiful.

"The winner of the Women's division of the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament is…." The referee trailed off as he looked between Jane and Bella, who had tore her eyes off of me and looked over at him. "Isabella Cullen!"

The arena exploded with screams and cheers for Bella. Jane jumped out of the ring, storming off as her trainer chased after her. Apparently, she didn't think she had lost the match and wasn't very happy about losing. Bella, on the other hand, had a huge smile on her face as she climbed out of the ring and ran over to me, jumping in my arms and wrapping her feet around me. In that moment, I was home.

"Baby, you did so fucking good," I murmured, holding her as tight as I could. "So fucking good."

Burying her face in the side of my neck, Bella's shoulders shock as she cried. "I can't believe I actually won. I didn't think I was going to be able to pull it out. She was so good."

"But you did, Baby," I soothed, rubbing her back. From over her shoulder, I could see her brothers watching her, halfway smiling and halfway frowning. Bella leaned back just enough to look me right in the eye.

"Kick his ass, Baby," she smiled. "I'll be right here, cheering for you."

I leaned in and kissed her before setting her back down on her feet. Bella settled on the bench behind me as Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and Ed taped my hands and got my gloves on. Neither Carlisle nor Ed were saying anything but Emmett and Jasper were spouting off all sorts of needless advice. Everything from taking my time, to letting my opponent do all the work. Shit that I had been told over and over and over again. Even though I knew all of this, I knew that it was important for them to tell it to me. This was their ways of telling me that they accepted me into the family.

"You're ready for this," said Carlisle, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Just trust your instincts and you will be just fine."

"Ok," I muttered, nervously as I looked at the floor.

"Hey, look at me," ordered Carlisle, squatting down in front of me. I shifted my eyes up to his. "That day that you and Esme came into my gym, I saw the look in your eye. You are a natural fighter, you have a gift. Ignore all the shit around you and focus on taking that kid out. He has nothing on you."

"You didn't want to train me," I said.

"I didn't want my sister to get hurt, there is a difference, kid," snorted Carlisle. He shook his head, sighing softly. "Edward, believe in yourself. Believe that you can climb into the ring and kick this kid's ass because you can."

"If I can't?" I asked.

Carlisle smiled. "Then I will still be proud of you," he said. "As will everyone else."

"Even if we do give you shit about Bella winning hers," added Emmett.

I laughed, loudly. Leave it to Emmett. "Ok, ok, I've got this," I chuckled, standing up. Turning, I looked back at Bella and smiled.

"Kick his ass, Baby," she smiled.

I took a deep breath as I turned and climbed into the ring, preparing to face the boy that stood across from me. Standing on the other side of the ring was my opponent, Felix Wilson. He was a tall, broad shouldered man with dark brown hair and even darker eyes. He was rolling his neck, trying to loosen up before our match. His trainer was standing next to him, whispering furiously at him. Felix was nodding his head, eyes focused on the floor in front of him. There was no doubt in my mind that he was ready to go in there and fight this out like men. This truly was going to be the hardest fight of my life.

The referee climbed in and ordered the two of us to the middle. My legs felt like they were made of lead as I stumbled over awkwardly. The noise level inside the arena was deafening but I couldn't really hear it. It was an odd feeling to be so disconnected to the jibes and cheers around me. My focus had to be on the person I was going to be fighting in the matter of thirty seconds and not the crowd around us. The referee motioned for us to bump gloves, which we did.

"Good luck," muttered Felix, from around his mouth piece.

"You, too," I mumbled, feeling foolish for even attempting to speak with the plastic in my mouth but he was offering me a gesture of goodwill and I couldn't be rude. I had been raised better than that. I moved back into my corner and waited for the judges to ring the bell and start the match.

"Welcome to the final match in the Men's Division of the Las Vegas Invitational Boxing Tournament," announced the referee, his voice echoing in the large arena. "After a grueling few days, we've narrowed our field down to two, Felix Wilson, from Lamar, Colorado, and Edward Masen, from Forks, Washington."

As everyone cheered for us, I noticed that Phil Dwyer was sitting up in the bleachers, watching me and Felix as we prepared to battle for the championship. Nothing like a little bit of pressure on top of an already stressful and nerve racking moment. The referee looked between me and Felix once more before stepping back. The judges rang the bell and our match officially started.

Felix took a couple of small steps toward me, not giving up much space as we started our dance. I kept my arms tucked in to my side, protecting myself as much as I could. I knew that when he did strike, he was going to come at me hard and fast. For most of the first round, we merely threw baby taps at each other. Felix started with a left hook and I followed with a right jab. Neither of our punches were full forced or even made the other think twice.

It wasn't about making us feel them but testing the water and seeing how the other was going to react. Just as I expected him to, he was being conservative and holding back, just like I was. He was smart and disciplined. This was going to be much harder than I thought. As the first round ended, I moved back into my corner and spit out my mouth piece and gulped the water my father was pouring into my mouth.

"Ok, you need to pick it up," said Carlisle. "He's not to make the first move so you are going to have to do it. Stay off the ropes and keep moving. Be aggressive. Watch for his left hook, it's going to sting like a bitch if it connects."

"I know," I muttered, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this."

Once I had my mouthpiece back in and the judges rang the bell, I charged out of my corner like a bull. Felix's eyes widen, clearly not expecting me to rush at him so quickly. As shocked as he was as I hit him with my right roundhouse/left uppercut combo, he quickly recovered and blocked the later, groaning from the first hit. Clearly, he didn't expect me to his as hard as I did, either.

I took no mercy on him as I continued to throw my gloves at him, going to with a right jab, left hook, left roundhouse, right uppercut. Felix was quick and managed to block about half of what I threw at him. He was barely sweating, or struggling for air even though my body felt like it was on fire and my lungs hurt from three days of fighting to get to this moment. Felix pushed me back into the ropes, throwing his own jab/hook combo at me just before the bell rang, ending the second round. I stumbled over to my corner, spitting out my mouth piece and gasping for air.

"Deep breath, Edward," ordered Carlisle. "You're doing great. Just great."

"It…hurts," I gasped, putting my arms above my head. "He's barely sweating and I am barely able to move."

"You can do this," he said again. "You got tons of points in that round."

"I don't know," I muttered. Suddenly, Carlisle was pushed out of the way and Bella was standing in front of me. She reached up and cupped my face in her hands, bringing her forehead to rest on the top of my headgear.

"You can do this, Edward," she whispered. "You didn't give up on me when I pushed you away. You didn't give up on me when my brothers gave us shit or when I was breaking down. Don't you dare stop fighting now. Find a way to go back over there and kick his ass. He has nothing on you, Baby, nothing. You own his ass. Make sure he knows that."

I closed my eyes and nodded my head, silently telling her that I would do whatever it took to do this. Somehow, someway I was going to win this match. I knew I could do it because Bella believed in me. She leaned in and kissed me, murmuring once again that she loved me. I popped my mouthpiece back in and turned once more to face Felix Wilson.

The bell rang, starting the third round and I, once again, went on the offensive. Of course, so did Felix. He blocked my first attempt and countered with a right hook, clocking me in my already bruised and tender jaw. I stifled my groan of pain and tightened my arms even more into my side as I forced him into the corner. It was almost like something clicked inside because one moment, I was barely able to move and the next, I found myself attacking him with everything I had. Over and over I slammed my gloves into his torso, arms, and head.

As good as I was giving it, Felix was giving it back to me just as hard. There were times when I couldn't tell whose gloves where mine and whose were his. All I really knew was that I had to keep hitting him, getting as much on him as I could. If I gave him even an inch, I was toast. Just when I thought I was done for, that I had nothing left in me to throw at him, the bell rang, ending out match. Felix patted my shoulder with his glove before heading over to his corner.

I stumbled over to mine, ignoring my father, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper as I climbed out of the ring, spitting my mouthpiece out onto the floor. Bella stood up as I came up to her, pulling her into my arms, and holding her as tightly as I could. It didn't matter to me if I won or not, all that mattered was that I had Bella in my arms.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered. "I wouldn't have been here if you hadn't of loved me."

"Yes, you would have," I murmured. "Baby, you let me love you."

"We're the lucky ones, aren't we?" she asked. "Finding each other just when we needed the other."

"Yes, Baby, we're the lucky ones," I smiled.

**Thank you for all the reviews. This is the last chapter for this one, but there is a sequel titled The Lucky Ones that i hope to have started soon.**


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